וַיַּ֨עַן הַשָּׁלִ֜ישׁ אֶת־אִ֣ישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים֮ וַיֹּאמַר֒ וְהִנֵּ֣ה יְהוָ֗ה עֹשֶׂ֤ה אֲרֻבֹּות֙ בַּשָּׁמַ֔יִם הֲיִהְיֶ֖ה כַּדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֑ה וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הִנְּךָ֤ רֹאֶה֙ בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ וּמִשָּׁ֖ם לֹ֥א תֹאכֵֽל׃
And the officer answered the man of God and said, “Behold, if YHWH should make windows in the heavens, would 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: ענה; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he answered”; Notes: Standard narrative form introducing speech.
- הַשָּׁלִישׁ (ha-shalish) – Root: שלש; Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the officer”; Notes: A royal adjutant or third-in-command.
- אֶת־אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים (et-ish ha-Elohim) – Root: אישׁ, אלהים; Form: Accusative construct phrase; Translation: “the man of God”; Notes: Elisha the prophet.
- וַיֹּאמַר (va-yomar) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Continues the officer’s response.
- וְהִנֵּה (ve-hinneh) – Root: הנה; Form: Interjection with conjunction; Translation: “Behold”; Notes: Signals a hypothetical or striking assertion.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Form: Proper divine name; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The speaker invokes divine capability.
- עֹשֶׂה (ʿoseh) – Root: עשה; Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “should make” or “making”; Notes: Expresses potential action in hypothetical clause.
- אֲרֻבֹּות (arubbot) – Root: ארב; Form: Noun feminine plural; Translation: “windows”; Notes: Used metaphorically for openings in heaven.
- בַּשָּׁמַיִם (ba-shamayim) – Root: שׁמים; Form: Preposition + definite plural noun; Translation: “in the heavens”; Notes: Standard biblical term for sky/heaven.
- הֲיִהְיֶה (ha-yiheyeh) – Root: היה; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular + interrogative he; Translation: “would it be”; Notes: Expresses doubt.
- כַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה (ka-davar ha-zeh) – Root: דבר, זה; Form: Construct phrase; Translation: “like this thing”; Notes: Refers to the predicted abundance.
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Marks Elisha’s response.
- הִנְּךָ (hinnekha) – Root: הנה; Form: Interjection + 2ms pronoun; Translation: “Behold, you”; Notes: Emphatic second-person subject.
- רֹאֶה (roʾeh) – Root: ראה; Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “seeing”; Notes: Present tense or imminent action.
- בְּעֵינֶיךָ (be-ʿeineikha) – Root: עין; Form: Preposition + dual noun + 2ms suffix; Translation: “with your eyes”; Notes: Personal sensory witness.
- וּמִשָּׁם (u-mi-sham) – Root: שׁם; Form: Conjunction + preposition + adverb; Translation: “but from there”; Notes: Contrastive clause setup.
- לֹא תֹאכֵל (lo toʾkhel) – Root: אכל; Form: Negative particle + Qal imperfect 2ms; Translation: “you shall not eat”; Notes: Judgment clause—he will see but not partake.