וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח חִזְקִיָּ֣ה מֶֽלֶךְ־יְהוּדָ֣ה אֶל־מֶֽלֶךְ־אַשּׁוּר֩ לָכִ֨ישָׁה לֵאמֹ֤ר חָטָ֨אתִי֙ שׁ֣וּב מֵֽעָלַ֔י אֵ֛ת אֲשֶׁר־תִּתֵּ֥ן עָלַ֖י אֶשָּׂ֑א וַיָּ֨שֶׂם מֶֽלֶךְ־אַשּׁ֜וּר עַל־חִזְקִיָּ֣ה מֶֽלֶךְ־יְהוּדָ֗ה שְׁלֹ֤שׁ מֵאֹות֙ כִּכַּר־כֶּ֔סֶף וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֖ים כִּכַּ֥ר זָהָֽב׃
And Ḥizqiyya king of Yehuda sent to the king of Ashshur at Lakhish, saying, “I have sinned; turn back from upon me; whatever you impose upon me, I will bear.” And the king of Ashshur imposed upon Ḥizqiyyah king of Yehuda three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.
Morphology
- וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח (va-yishlaḥ) – Root: שלח; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he sent”; Notes: Typical introductory verb for messages or envoys.
- חִזְקִיָּ֣ה (Ḥizqiyyah) – Root: חזק; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Ḥizqiyyah”; Notes: King of Yehudah at the time.
- מֶֽלֶךְ־יְהוּדָ֣ה (melekh-Yehudah) – Root: מלך, יהודה; Form: Construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “king of Yehudah”; Notes: Title and kingdom affiliation.
- אֶל־מֶֽלֶךְ־אַשּׁוּר֩ (el-melekh-Ashshur) – Root: אל, מלך, אשׁור; Form: Preposition + construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “to the king of Ashshur”; Notes: Indicates the recipient of the message.
- לָכִ֨ישָׁה (Lakhishah) – Root: —; Form: Proper noun with directional he; Translation: “to Lakhish”; Notes: Assyrian camp location in Yehudah.
- לֵאמֹ֤ר (leʾemor) – Root: אמר; Form: Infinitive construct with preposition; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces the quoted speech.
- חָטָ֨אתִי (ḥataʾti) – Root: חטא; Form: Qal perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I have sinned”; Notes: Acknowledgment of wrongdoing or offense.
- שׁ֣וּב (shuv) – Root: שוב; Form: Qal imperative masculine singular; Translation: “turn back”; Notes: A plea for cessation of attack.
- מֵֽעָלַ֔י (me-ʿalay) – Root: על; Form: Preposition + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “from upon me”; Notes: Spatial metaphor for pressure or domination.
- אֵ֛ת (et) – Form: Accusative marker; Translation: —; Notes: Marks the direct object in the next clause.
- אֲשֶׁר־תִּתֵּ֥ן (ʾasher-titten) – Root: נתן; Form: Relative pronoun + Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “whatever you impose”; Notes: Introduces the condition or demand.
- עָלַ֖י (ʿalay) – Root: על; Form: Preposition + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “upon me”; Notes: Object of imposition or tribute.
- אֶשָּׂ֑א (essa) – Root: נשא; Form: Qal imperfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I will bear”; Notes: Indicates willingness to accept imposed tribute.
- וַיָּ֨שֶׂם (va-yasem) – Root: שׂים; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he imposed”; Notes: Describes the Assyrian king’s act of levying tribute.
- מֶֽלֶךְ־אַשּׁ֜וּר (melekh-Ashshur) – Root: מלך, אשׁור; Form: Construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “king of Ashshur”; Notes: Subject of the verb “imposed.”
- עַל־חִזְקִיָּ֣ה (ʿal-Ḥizqiyyah) – Root: על, חזק; Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “upon Ḥizqiyyah”; Notes: Recipient of the tribute burden.
- מֶֽלֶךְ־יְהוּדָ֗ה (melekh-Yehudah) – Root: מלך, יהודה; Form: Construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “king of Yehudah”; Notes: Further identification of Ḥizqiyyah.
- שְׁלֹ֤שׁ מֵאֹות֙ (shelosh meʾot) – Root: שלשׁ, מאות; Form: Cardinal number + plural noun feminine; Translation: “three hundred”; Notes: Indicates the amount of silver imposed.
- כִּכַּר־כֶּ֔סֶף (kikkar-kesef) – Root: ככר, כסף; Form: Construct noun + noun masculine singular; Translation: “talents of silver”; Notes: Unit of weight and value in tribute.
- וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֖ים (u-sheloshim) – Root: שלשׁ; Form: Conjunction + cardinal number masculine plural; Translation: “and thirty”; Notes: Additional tribute amount.
- כִּכַּ֥ר זָהָֽב (kikkar-zahav) – Root: ככר, זהב; Form: Construct noun + noun masculine singular; Translation: “talents of gold”; Notes: Second component of the tribute imposed.