וַיִּקַּ֨ח חִזְקִיָּ֧הוּ אֶת־הַסְּפָרִ֛ים מִיַּ֥ד הַמַּלְאָכִ֖ים וַיִּקְרָאֵ֑ם וַיַּ֨עַל֙ בֵּ֣ית יְהוָ֔ה וַיִּפְרְשֵׂ֥הוּ חִזְקִיָּ֖הוּ לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָֽה׃ פ
And Ḥizqiyahu took the letters from the hand of the messengers and read them, and Ḥizqiyahu went up to the house of YHWH and spread it out before YHWH.
Morphology
- וַיִּקַּ֨ח (va-yiqqaḥ) – Root: לקח (laqach); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he took”; Notes: Introduces Ḥizqiyahu’s response to receiving the message.
- חִזְקִיָּ֧הוּ (Ḥizqiyahu) – Root: חזק (ḥazaq) + יה (Yah); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Ḥizqiyahu”; Notes: King of Yehudah, the subject of the narrative.
- אֶת־הַסְּפָרִ֛ים (et-ha-sefarim) – Root: ספר (sefer); Form: Direct object marker + definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “the letters”; Notes: Refers to the written message from the king of Ashshur.
- מִיַּ֥ד (mi-yad) – Root: יד (yad); Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular; Translation: “from the hand of”; Notes: A common idiom indicating receipt or transfer.
- הַמַּלְאָכִ֖ים (ha-malʾakhim) – Root: מלאך (malʾakh); Form: Definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “the messengers”; Notes: Refers to the envoys sent by the king of Ashshur.
- וַיִּקְרָאֵ֑ם (va-yiqraʾem) – Root: קרא (qaraʾ); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “and he read them”; Notes: Ḥizqiyahu personally engages with the threatening content.
- וַיַּ֨עַל (va-yaʿal) – Root: עלה (ʿalah); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he went up”; Notes: Refers to ascending to the temple, a place of divine encounter.
- בֵּ֣ית יְהוָ֔ה (beit YHWH) – Root: בית (bayit), יהוה (YHWH); Form: Construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “the house of YHWH”; Notes: Refers to the temple in Yerushalayim.
- וַיִּפְרְשֵׂ֥הוּ (va-yifreshéhu) – Root: פרשׂ (paras); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “and he spread it out”; Notes: Act of presenting the letter before YHWH in prayer.
- חִזְקִיָּ֖הוּ (Ḥizqiyahu) – Root: As above; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Ḥizqiyahu”; Notes: Repeated for emphasis on the king’s personal intercession.
- לִפְנֵ֥י (lifnei) – Root: פנים (panim); Form: Preposition; Translation: “before”; Notes: Indicates reverent placement in the presence of YHWH.
- יְהוָֽה (YHWH) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenantal God of Yisraʾel, invoked in a time of national crisis.