וַיַּ֣עַן הַשָּׁלִ֡ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־לַמֶּלֶךְ֩ נִשְׁעָ֨ן עַל־יָדֹ֜ו אֶת־אִ֣ישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים֮ וַיֹּאמַר֒ הִנֵּ֣ה יְהוָ֗ה עֹשֶׂ֤ה אֲרֻבֹּות֙ בַּשָּׁמַ֔יִם הֲיִהְיֶ֖ה הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֑ה וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הִנְּכָ֤ה רֹאֶה֙ בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ וּמִשָּׁ֖ם לֹ֥א תֹאכֵֽל׃ ס
And the officer on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God and said, “Behold, if YHWH were to make windows in the heavens, could this thing be?” And he said, “Behold, you shall see with your eyes, but from there you shall not eat.”
Morphology
- וַיַּעַן (va-yaʿan) – Root: ען; Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he answered”; Notes: Introduces the reply of the officer.
- הַשָּׁלִישׁ (ha-shalish) – Root: שלש; Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the officer”; Notes: A high-ranking military aide or third-in-command.
- אֲשֶׁר־לַמֶּלֶךְ (asher-la-melekh) – Root: אשר; Form: Relative pronoun + preposition לְ + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “who was for the king”; Notes: Describes the officer’s association with the king.
- נִשְׁעָן (nishʿan) – Root: שען; Form: Nifal participle masculine singular; Translation: “leaning”; Notes: Indicates a passive or reflexive state.
- עַל־יָדֹו (ʿal-yado) – Root: יד; Form: Preposition עַל + noun feminine singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “on his hand”; Notes: Refers to physical or political support.
- אֶת־אִישׁ (ʾet-ʾish) – Root: איש; Form: Direct object marker + noun masculine singular; Translation: “the man”; Notes: Introduces the object of the officer’s speech.
- הָאֱלֹהִים (ha-ʾElohim) – Root: אֱלֹהִים; Form: Definite noun masculine plural in form but singular in meaning; Translation: “of God”; Notes: Refers to a prophet, often used for men of divine commission.
- וַיֹּאמַר (va-yomar) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Begins the officer’s skeptical statement.
- הִנֵּה (hinneh) – Root: הנה; Form: Interjection; Translation: “Behold”; Notes: Draws attention emphatically.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: יהוה; Form: Proper noun, divine name; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The name of the God of Yisraʾel.
- עֹשֶׂה (ʿoseh) – Root: עשה; Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “makes”; Notes: Indicates hypothetical divine action.
- אֲרֻבֹּות (arubbot) – Root: ארב; Form: Noun feminine plural; Translation: “windows”; Notes: Refers to openings or sluices in heaven.
- בַּשָּׁמַיִם (ba-shamayim) – Root: שמים; Form: Preposition בְּ + definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “in the heavens”; Notes: The realm of divine activity or weather.
- הֲיִהְיֶה (ha-yiheyeh) – Root: היה; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular interrogative; Translation: “could it be”; Notes: Rhetorical question expressing doubt.
- הַדָּבָר (ha-davar) – Root: דבר; Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the thing”; Notes: Refers to the prophecy previously declared.
- הַזֶּה (ha-zeh) – Root: זה; Form: Demonstrative pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Points to the specific predicted event.
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: This is the reply of the man of God.
- הִנְּכָה (hinnecha) – Root: הנה; Form: Interjection + 2nd person masculine singular pronoun suffix; Translation: “Behold, you”; Notes: Directs attention to the listener.
- רֹאֶה (roʾeh) – Root: ראה; Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “seeing”; Notes: Present participle indicating imminent vision.
- בְּעֵינֶיךָ (be-ʿeineikha) – Root: עין; Form: Preposition בְּ + noun feminine plural with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “with your eyes”; Notes: Emphasizes direct witnessing.
- וּמִשָּׁם (u-mi-sham) – Root: שם; Form: Conjunction וּ + preposition מִן + adverb; Translation: “and from there”; Notes: Indicates exclusion from participation.
- לֹא (lo) – Root: לא; Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Denies the action that follows.
- תֹאכֵל (toʾkhel) – Root: אכל; Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you shall eat”; Notes: Indicates future prohibition or consequence.