וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל אֶֽל־יְהֹושָׁפָ֡ט עֹ֣וד אִישׁ־אֶחָ֡ד לִדְרֹשׁ֩ אֶת־יְהוָ֨ה מֵאֹתֹ֜ו וַאֲנִ֣י שְׂנֵאתִ֗יו כִּ֠י לֹֽא־יִתְנַבֵּ֨א עָלַ֥י טֹוב֙ כִּ֣י אִם־רָ֔ע מִיכָ֖יְהוּ בֶּן־יִמְלָ֑ה וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ יְהֹ֣ושָׁפָ֔ט אַל־יֹאמַ֥ר הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ כֵּֽן׃
And the king of Yisraʾel said to Yehoshafat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of YHWH, but I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil: Mikhayehu son of Yimla.” And Yehoshafat said, “Let not the king say so.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yoʾmer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Continues the dialogue between kings.
- מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל (melekh-Yisraʾel) – Root: מלך (melekh), ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “king of Yisraʾel”; Notes: Refers to Aḥav.
- אֶל־יְהֹושָׁפָט (el-Yehoshafat) – Root: אל (ʾel), יהושפט (Yehoshafat); Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “to Yehoshafat”; Notes: King of Yehudah.
- עֹוד (ʿod) – Root: עוד (ʿod); Form: Adverb; Translation: “yet” or “still”; Notes: Implies another option remains.
- אִישׁ־אֶחָד (ʾish-eḥad) – Root: איש (ʾish), אחד (eḥad); Form: Noun + numeral; Translation: “one man”; Notes: Refers to the prophet Mikhayehu.
- לִדְרֹשׁ (lidrosh) – Root: דרשׁ (darash); Form: Infinitive construct with preposition לְ; Translation: “to inquire”; Notes: Seeking prophetic word from YHWH.
- אֶת־יְהוָה (et-YHWH) – Root: היה (YHWH); Form: Accusative marker + proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The object of the inquiry.
- מֵאֹתוֹ (me-oto) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Preposition מִן + pronoun 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “from him”; Notes: Refers to the prophet.
- וַאֲנִי (va-ʾani) – Root: אני (ʾani); Form: Conjunction + pronoun 1st person singular; Translation: “but I”; Notes: Personal perspective of Aḥav.
- שְׂנֵאתִיו (seneʾtiv) – Root: שׂנא (saneʾ); Form: Qal perfect 1st person singular + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “I hate him”; Notes: Emotionally charged statement revealing bias.
- כִּי לֹא־יִתְנַבֵּא (ki lo-yitnabbeʾ) – Root: נבא (navaʾ); Form: Conjunction + negative particle + Hitpael imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “because he does not prophesy”; Notes: Hitpael indicates reflexive or intensive action.
- עָלַי (ʿalai) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “concerning me”; Notes: Subject of the prophecy.
- טוֹב (tov) – Root: טוב (tov); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “good”; Notes: That which is favorable or beneficial.
- כִּי אִם־רָע (ki ʾim-raʿ) – Root: רעע (raʿaʿ); Form: Conjunction + particle of exclusion + noun masculine singular; Translation: “but evil”; Notes: Emphatic structure stressing only negative prophecy.
- מִיכָיְהוּ (Mikhayehu) – Root: מיכיהו (Mikhayehu); Form: Proper noun masculine singular; Translation: “Mikhayehu”; Notes: The prophet Aḥav despises.
- בֶּן־יִמְלָה (ben-Yimlah) – Root: בן (ben), ימלה (Yimlah); Form: Construct chain: noun + proper noun; Translation: “son of Yimlah”; Notes: Full identification of the prophet.
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yoʾmer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Introduction to Yehoshafat’s rebuke.
- יְהֹושָׁפָט (Yehoshafat) – Root: יהושפט (Yehoshafat); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yehoshafat”; Notes: King of Yehudah.
- אַל־יֹאמַר (ʾal-yomar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Negative particle אַל + Qal jussive 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “Let not [the king] say”; Notes: Gentle correction or disapproval.
- הַמֶּלֶךְ (ha-melekh) – Root: מלך (melekh); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the king”; Notes: A respectful reference to Aḥav.
- כֵּן (ken) – Root: כן (ken); Form: Adverb; Translation: “so”; Notes: Meaning “thus,” referring to Aḥav’s dismissive speech.