וַתָּבֹ֞א אֶל־אִ֤ישׁ הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ אֶל־הָהָ֔ר וַֽתַּחֲזֵ֖ק בְּרַגְלָ֑יו וַיִּגַּ֨שׁ גֵּֽיחֲזִ֜י לְהָדְפָ֗הּ וַיֹּאמֶר֩ אִ֨ישׁ הָאֱלֹהִ֤ים הַרְפֵּֽה־לָהּ֙ כִּֽי־נַפְשָׁ֣הּ מָֽרָה־לָ֔הּ וַֽיהוָה֙ הֶעְלִ֣ים מִמֶּ֔נִּי וְלֹ֥א הִגִּ֖יד לִֽי׃
And she came to the man of the God at the mountain, and she seized his feet. And Geiḥazi approached to push her away, but the man of the God said, “Let her alone, for her soul is bitter within her, and YHWH has hidden it from me and has not told me.”
Morphology
- וַתָּבֹא (va-tavo) – Root: בוא; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “And she came”; Notes: Describes her arrival at the prophet’s location.
- אֶל־אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים (el-ʾish ha-ʾElohim) – Root: אישׁ, אלה; Form: Preposition + construct phrase; Translation: “to the man of the God”; Notes: Standard designation for the prophet Elisha.
- אֶל־הָהָר (el-ha-har) – Root: הר; Form: Preposition + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “to the mountain”; Notes: Refers to Mount ha-Karmel.
- וַתַּחֲזֵק (va-taḥazeq) – Root: חזק; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “and she seized”; Notes: Indicates a physical act of desperation.
- בְּרַגְלָיו (be-raglav) – Root: רגל; Form: Preposition בְּ + noun feminine plural with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “his feet”; Notes: Symbolic of entreaty or supplication.
- וַיִּגַּשׁ (va-yiggash) – Root: נגשׁ; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he approached”; Notes: Describes Geiḥazi coming near to intervene.
- גֵּיחֲזִי (Geiḥazi) – Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Geiḥazi”; Notes: The servant of Elisha.
- לְהָדְפָהּ (le-hodfah) – Root: דפה; Form: Preposition לְ + Hiphil infinitive construct + 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “to push her away”; Notes: Attempt to remove her from Elisha’s presence.
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Elisha speaks in response to Geiḥazi’s action.
- אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים (ʾish ha-ʾElohim) – Root: אישׁ, אלה; Form: Noun construct phrase; Translation: “the man of the God”; Notes: Repeated identification of Elisha.
- הַרְפֵּה־לָהּ (harpeh-lah) – Root: רפה; Form: Hiphil imperative masculine singular + 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “Let her alone”; Notes: Command to desist from restraining her.
- כִּי־נַפְשָׁהּ (ki-nafshah) – Root: נפשׁ; Form: Conjunction כִּי + noun feminine singular with 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “for her soul”; Notes: Indicates emotional or inner state.
- מָרָה־לָהּ (marah-lah) – Root: מרר; Form: Adjective feminine singular + 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “is bitter to her”; Notes: Expresses deep anguish or grief.
- וַיהוָה (va-YHWH) – Form: Conjunction ו + proper name of the God of Yisraʾel; Translation: “and YHWH”; Notes: Marks divine involvement or withholding.
- הֶעְלִים (heʿelim) – Root: עלם; Form: Hiphil perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “has hidden”; Notes: Elisha admits divine concealment of the matter.
- מִמֶּנִּי (mimmenni) – Root: מן; Form: Preposition + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “from me”; Notes: Stresses Elisha’s lack of prior revelation.
- וְלֹא הִגִּיד לִי (ve-lo higgid li) – Root: נגד; Form: Conjunction + negative particle + Hiphil perfect 3rd person masculine singular + preposition לְ + first person singular suffix; Translation: “and has not told me”; Notes: Confession of prophetic silence on this matter.