וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ תִּפְשׂ֣וּם חַיִּ֔ים וַֽיִּתְפְּשׂ֖וּם חַיִּ֑ים וַֽיִּשְׁחָט֞וּם אֶל־בֹּ֣ור בֵּֽית־עֵ֗קֶד אַרְבָּעִ֤ים וּשְׁנַ֨יִם֙ אִ֔ישׁ וְלֹֽא־הִשְׁאִ֥יר אִ֖ישׁ מֵהֶֽם׃ ס
And he said, “Seize them alive.” And they seized them alive, and slaughtered them at the pit of Beit-ʿeqed, forty and two men, and he did not leave a man of them.
Morphology
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Yehu gives a command.
- תִּפְשׂוּם (tifseum) – Root: תפשׂ (t-p-s); Form: Qal imperative 2nd person masculine plural + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “Seize them”; Notes: Command to capture the men alive.
- חַיִּים (ḥayyim) – Root: חי (ḥ-y); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “alive”; Notes: Emphasizes that they were not to be killed immediately.
- וַיִּתְפְּשׂוּם (va-yitpesum) – Root: תפשׂ (t-p-s); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “and they seized them”; Notes: Obedience to Yehu’s command.
- חַיִּים (ḥayyim) – Form: As above; Translation: “alive”; Notes: Repetition stresses their capture without resistance.
- וַיִּשְׁחָטוּם (va-yishḥatum) – Root: שׁחט (sh-ḥ-ṭ); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “and they slaughtered them”; Notes: Execution after capture.
- אֶל־בֹּור (el-bor) – Root: בור (b-v-r); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “at the pit”; Notes: Execution site, possibly a cistern or trench.
- בֵּית־עֵקֶד (Beit-ʿEqed) – Root: בית / עקד (b-y-t / ʿ-q-d); Form: Construct proper noun; Translation: “Beit-ʿEqed”; Notes: Place name meaning “House of Binding.”
- אַרְבָּעִים (arbaʿim) – Root: ארבע (ʾ-r-b-ʿ); Form: Cardinal number; Translation: “forty”; Notes: Part of the total number killed.
- וּשְׁנַיִם (u-shenayim) – Root: שנים (sh-n-y); Form: Conjunction + cardinal number; Translation: “and two”; Notes: Completes the total: forty-two men.
- אִישׁ (ʾish) – Root: איש (ʾ-ʾ-sh); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “man”; Notes: Refers to each individual slain.
- וְלֹא־הִשְׁאִיר (ve-lo-hishʾir) – Root: שׁאר (sh-ʾ-r); Form: Conjunction + negative + Hifil perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he did not leave”; Notes: Indicates complete destruction.
- אִישׁ (ʾish) – As above; Translation: “a man”; Notes: Repeated for emphasis—no survivor.
- מֵהֶם (mehem) – Root: מן (m-n); Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “of them”; Notes: Refers to the forty-two men.