וַיֹּ֖אמֶר הִקְשִׁ֣יתָ לִשְׁאֹ֑ול אִם־תִּרְאֶ֨ה אֹתִ֜י לֻקָּ֤ח מֵֽאִתָּךְ֙ יְהִֽי־לְךָ֣ כֵ֔ן וְאִם־אַ֖יִן לֹ֥א יִהְיֶֽה׃
And he said, “You have asked a hard thing. If you see me taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֖אמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Marks Eliyyahu’s response to Elisha.
- הִקְשִׁ֣יתָ (hiqshita) – Root: קשה (qashah); Form: Hifil perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “You have asked a hard thing”; Notes: Indicates difficulty or challenge in the request.
- לִשְׁאֹ֑ול (lishʾol) – Root: שׁאל (shaʾal); Form: Preposition + Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “to ask”; Notes: Refers back to Elisha’s previous request.
- אִם־תִּרְאֶ֨ה (im-tirʾeh) – Root: ראה (raʾah); Form: Conditional particle + Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “If you see”; Notes: Introduces condition for fulfillment.
- אֹתִ֜י (oti) – Root: את; Form: Direct object marker + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “me”; Notes: Refers to Eliyyahu being seen by Elisha.
- לֻקָּ֤ח (luqqaḥ) – Root: לקח (laqach); Form: Nifal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “taken”; Notes: Passive verb indicating divine action.
- מֵֽאִתָּךְ֙ (me-ittakh) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Preposition + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “from you”; Notes: Points to the act of separation from Elisha.
- יְהִֽי־לְךָ֣ (yehi-lekha) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal jussive 3rd person masculine singular + preposition + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “it shall be for you”; Notes: Promise of fulfillment if condition is met.
- כֵ֔ן (ken) – Root: כן; Form: Adverb; Translation: “so”; Notes: Confirms the condition positively.
- וְאִם־אַ֖יִן (ve-im-ayin) – Root: אין (ayin); Form: Conjunction + conditional particle + negative existence; Translation: “but if not”; Notes: Negative outcome if condition is unmet.
- לֹ֥א יִהְיֶֽה (lo yihyeh) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Negative particle + Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “it shall not be”; Notes: Denial of request based on conditional vision.