אִם־אָמַרְנוּ֩ נָבֹ֨וא הָעִ֜יר וְהָרָעָ֤ב בָּעִיר֙ וָמַ֣תְנוּ שָׁ֔ם וְאִם־יָשַׁ֥בְנוּ פֹ֖ה וָמָ֑תְנוּ וְעַתָּ֗ה לְכוּ֙ וְנִפְּלָה֙ אֶל־מַחֲנֵ֣ה אֲרָ֔ם אִם־יְחַיֻּ֣נוּ נִֽחְיֶ֔ה וְאִם־יְמִיתֻ֖נוּ וָמָֽתְנוּ׃
If we say, ‘Let us go into the city,’ then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we shall also die. So now, come, let us fall into the camp of Aram. If they let us live, we shall live; and if they kill us, then we shall die.”
Morphology
- אִם (ʾim) – Root: אם; Form: Conditional particle; Translation: “If”; Notes: Introduces conditional clauses.
- אָמַרְנוּ (ʾamarnu) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal perfect 1st person plural; Translation: “we said”; Notes: Hypothetical in context: “If we say.”
- נָבֹוא (navo) – Root: בוא; Form: Qal cohortative 1st person plural; Translation: “let us go”; Notes: Expresses intention or proposal.
- הָעִיר (ha-ʿir) – Root: עיר; Form: Definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “the city”; Notes: Refers to the besieged city of Shomeron.
- וְהָרָעָב (ve-ha-raʿav) – Root: רעב; Form: Conjunction + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “and the famine”; Notes: Introduces the condition in the city.
- בָּעִיר (ba-ʿir) – Root: עיר; Form: Preposition בְּ + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “in the city”; Notes: Reinforces the location of the famine.
- וָמַתְנוּ (va-matnu) – Root: מות; Form: Conjunction וָ (sequential) + Qal perfect 1st person plural; Translation: “then we shall die”; Notes: Indicates inevitable consequence.
- שָׁם (sham) – Root: שם; Form: Adverb; Translation: “there”; Notes: Specifies location of death.
- וְאִם (ve-ʾim) – Root: אם; Form: Conjunction + conditional particle; Translation: “and if”; Notes: Introduces a second hypothetical.
- יָשַׁבְנוּ (yashavnu) – Root: ישׁב; Form: Qal perfect 1st person plural; Translation: “we sit”; Notes: In context, “remain” or “stay put.”
- פֹּה (po) – Root: פה; Form: Adverb of place; Translation: “here”; Notes: Refers to their current location at the gate.
- וָמָתְנוּ (va-matnu) – Root: מות; Form: Conjunction וָ + Qal perfect 1st person plural; Translation: “then we shall die”; Notes: Repeated for rhetorical emphasis.
- וְעַתָּה (ve-ʿattah) – Root: עת; Form: Conjunction + adverb; Translation: “and now”; Notes: Marks a shift to decision-making.
- לְכוּ (lekhu) – Root: הלך; Form: Qal imperative 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “Go”; Notes: Urges action.
- וְנִפְּלָה (ve-nippelah) – Root: נפל; Form: Conjunction + Qal cohortative 1st person plural; Translation: “and let us fall”; Notes: Suggests surrendering.
- אֶל־מַחֲנֵה (ʾel-maḥaneh) – Root: חנה; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “into the camp of”; Notes: Directional toward a military encampment.
- אֲרָם (ʾAram) – Root: ארם; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Aram”; Notes: Refers to the Syrians who besieged Shomeron.
- אִם (ʾim) – Root: אם; Form: Conditional particle; Translation: “If”; Notes: Begins another conditional clause.
- יְחַיֻּנוּ (yeḥayyunu) – Root: חיה; Form: Piel imperfect 3rd person masculine plural with 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “they let us live”; Notes: Piel intensifies the action, here meaning “preserve alive.”
- נִחְיֶה (niḥyeh) – Root: חיה; Form: Qal imperfect 1st person plural; Translation: “we shall live”; Notes: Expresses hope for survival.
- וְאִם (ve-ʾim) – Root: אם; Form: Conjunction + conditional particle; Translation: “but if”; Notes: Contrastive conditional clause.
- יְמִיתֻנוּ (yemitunu) – Root: מות; Form: Hifil imperfect 3rd person masculine plural with 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “they kill us”; Notes: Hifil causative: “cause us to die.”
- וָמָתְנוּ (va-matnu) – Root: מות; Form: Conjunction וָ + Qal perfect 1st person plural; Translation: “then we shall die”; Notes: Acceptance of risk, closing the reasoning chain.