וַיֹּאמְר֨וּ אֵלָ֜יו אִ֣ישׁ עָלָ֣ה לִקְרָאתֵ֗נוּ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלֵינוּ֮ לְכ֣וּ שׁוּבוּ֮ אֶל־הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ אֲשֶׁר־שָׁלַ֣ח אֶתְכֶם֒ וְדִבַּרְתֶּ֣ם אֵלָ֗יו כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה הַֽמִבְּלִ֤י אֵין־אֱלֹהִים֙ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אַתָּ֣ה שֹׁלֵ֔חַ לִדְרֹ֕שׁ בְּבַ֥עַל זְב֖וּב אֱלֹהֵ֣י עֶקְרֹ֑ון לָ֠כֵן הַמִּטָּ֞ה אֲשֶׁר־עָלִ֥יתָ שָּׁ֛ם לֹֽא־תֵרֵ֥ד מִמֶּ֖נָּה כִּֽי־מֹ֥ות תָּמֽוּת׃
And they said to him, “A man came up to meet us, and he said to us, ‘Go, return to the king who sent you, and you shall speak to him: Thus says YHWH, Is it because there is no God in Yisraʾel that you are sending to inquire of Baʿal Zevuv the god of ʿEqron? Therefore, the bed upon which you have gone up—there you shall not come down from it, for you shall surely die.’”
Morphology
- וַיֹּאמְר֨וּ (va-yomru) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “And they said”; Notes: Continues the narrative with a speech report.
- אֵלָ֜יו (elav) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers to the king of Shomeron.
- אִ֣ישׁ (ʾish) – Root: איש (ʾish); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “a man”; Notes: Unidentified individual, later revealed as Eliyyah.
- עָלָ֣ה (ʿalah) – Root: עלה (ʿalah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “came up”; Notes: Indicates upward or proactive motion.
- לִקְרָאתֵ֗נוּ (liqrateinu) – Root: קרא (qara); Form: Preposition לְ + infinitive construct with 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “to meet us”; Notes: Expresses purpose or direction of action.
- וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Direct quotation follows.
- אֵלֵינוּ֮ (eleinu) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition + 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “to us”; Notes: Refers to the messengers.
- לְכ֣וּ (lechu) – Root: הלך (halakh); Form: Qal imperative masculine plural; Translation: “Go”; Notes: Immediate directive.
- שׁוּבוּ (shuvu) – Root: שׁוב (shuv); Form: Qal imperative masculine plural; Translation: “return”; Notes: Reinforces the previous command.
- אֶל־הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ (el-ha-melekh) – Root: מלך (melekh); Form: Preposition + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “to the king”; Notes: The one who sent them on the errand.
- אֲשֶׁר־שָׁלַ֣ח (asher-shalaḥ) – Root: שלח (shalaḥ); Form: Relative pronoun + Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “who sent”; Notes: Refers to the king’s prior command.
- אֶתְכֶם (etkhem) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Direct object marker + 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “you”; Notes: Refers to the messengers addressed by Eliyyah.
- וְדִבַּרְתֶּ֣ם (ve-dibbartem) – Root: דבר (davar); Form: Conjunction + Piel perfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “and you shall speak”; Notes: Direct instruction to repeat YHWH’s words.
- אֵלָ֗יו (elav) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers again to the king.
- כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר (koh amar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Adverb + Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “Thus says”; Notes: Standard prophetic formula.
- יְהוָ֔ה (YHWH) – Root: יהוה (YHWH); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The God of Yisraʾel.
- הַֽמִבְּלִ֤י (ha-mibbli) – Root: בלי (bli); Form: Interrogative + article; Translation: “Is it because there is no…?”; Notes: Ironically questions the king’s faith in YHWH.
- אֵין־אֱלֹהִים֙ (ein-Elohim) – Root: אין + אֱלֹהִים (ʾein + Elohim); Form: Negative existential + noun masculine plural; Translation: “there is no God”; Notes: Asks whether the king believes YHWH is absent or powerless.
- בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (be-Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “in Yisraʾel”; Notes: Highlights covenantal location.
- אַתָּ֣ה (attah) – Root: אתה (attah); Form: Independent personal pronoun 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you”; Notes: Emphasizes the king’s personal decision.
- שֹׁלֵ֔חַ (sholeaḥ) – Root: שלח (shalaḥ); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “sending”; Notes: Denotes ongoing or habitual act.
- לִדְרֹ֕שׁ (lidrosh) – Root: דרש (darash); Form: Preposition לְ + Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “to inquire”; Notes: Seeking oracles or prophetic guidance.
- בְּבַ֥עַל זְב֖וּב (be-Vaʿal Zevuv) – Root: בעל + זבוב (Baʿal + Zevuv); Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “of Baʿal-Zevuv”; Notes: Pagan deity, “lord of the flies.”
- אֱלֹהֵ֣י (Elohei) – Root: אֱלֹהִים (ʾElohim); Form: Construct noun masculine plural; Translation: “the god of”; Notes: Construct form indicating possession.
- עֶקְרֹ֑ון (ʿEqron) – Root: עקרון (ʿEqron); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “ʿEqron”; Notes: One of the five principal cities of the Pelishtim.
- לָ֠כֵן (laken) – Root: כן (ken); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “Therefore”; Notes: Introduces the divine consequence.
- הַמִּטָּ֞ה (ha-mittah) – Root: מטה (mittah); Form: Definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “the bed”; Notes: Refers to the king’s sickbed.
- אֲשֶׁר־עָלִ֥יתָ (asher-ʿalitah) – Root: עלה (ʿalah); Form: Relative pronoun + Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “upon which you have gone up”; Notes: Relative clause modifying “bed.”
- שָּׁ֛ם (sham) – Root: שׁם (sham); Form: Adverb of place; Translation: “there”; Notes: Specifies location of illness.
- לֹֽא־תֵרֵ֥ד (lo-tered) – Root: ירד (yarad); Form: Negative particle + Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you shall not come down”; Notes: Divine judgment is fixed.
- מִמֶּ֖נָּה (mimmenah) – Root: מן (min); Form: Preposition + 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “from it”; Notes: Refers again to the bed.
- כִּֽי־מֹ֥ות (ki-mot) – Root: מות (mut); Form: Conjunction + infinitive absolute; Translation: “for surely (you will) die”; Notes: Infinitive used to emphasize certainty.
- תָּמֽוּת (tamut) – Root: מות (mut); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you shall die”; Notes: Final confirmation of the judgment.