וַיְהִי֮ בַּלַּ֣יְלָה הַהוּא֒ וַיֵּצֵ֣א מַלְאַ֣ךְ יְהוָ֗ה וַיַּךְ֙ בְּמַחֲנֵ֣ה אַשּׁ֔וּר מֵאָ֛ה שְׁמֹונִ֥ים וַחֲמִשָּׁ֖ה אָ֑לֶף וַיַּשְׁכִּ֣ימוּ בַבֹּ֔קֶר וְהִנֵּ֥ה כֻלָּ֖ם פְּגָרִ֥ים מֵתִֽים׃
And it came to pass in that night, that the angel of YHWH went out and struck in the camp of Ashshur one hundred eighty-five thousand. And when they rose early in the morning, behold, all of them were dead corpses.
Morphology
- וַיְהִי֮ (va-yehi) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And it came to pass”; Notes: Standard narrative formula introducing an event.
- בַּלַּ֣יְלָה (ba-laylah) – Root: לילה (laylah); Form: Preposition + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “in the night”; Notes: Specifies the time of divine action.
- הַהוּא֒ (ha-hu) – Root: הוא (hu); Form: Demonstrative pronoun masculine singular with article; Translation: “that”; Notes: Points to a specific night already referenced.
- וַיֵּצֵ֣א (va-yetze) – Root: יצא (yatsaʾ); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and went out”; Notes: The subject is the angel of YHWH.
- מַלְאַ֣ךְ יְהוָ֗ה (malʾakh YHWH) – Root: מלאך (malʾakh); Form: Noun masculine singular in construct + proper noun; Translation: “the angel of YHWH”; Notes: A divine messenger and agent of judgment.
- וַיַּךְ֙ (va-yak) – Root: נכה (nakah); Form: Hifil wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular (defective spelling); Translation: “and struck”; Notes: Indicates a lethal blow.
- בְּמַחֲנֵ֣ה אַשּׁ֔וּר (be-machaneh Ashshur) – Root: מחנה (machaneh), אשׁור (Ashshur); Form: Preposition + construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “in the camp of Ashshur”; Notes: Refers to the Assyrian military encampment.
- מֵאָ֛ה שְׁמֹונִ֥ים וַחֲמִשָּׁ֖ה אָ֑לֶף (meʾah shemonim va-ḥamishah alef) – Root: מאה (meʾah), שׁמנה (shmonah), חמשׁ (ḥamesh), אלף (elef); Form: Number phrase; Translation: “one hundred eighty-five thousand”; Notes: Total number of Assyrian casualties.
- וַיַּשְׁכִּ֣ימוּ (va-yashkimu) – Root: שׁכם (shakham); Form: Hifil wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they rose early”; Notes: Typically marks the start of a day’s events.
- בַבֹּ֔קֶר (va-boker) – Root: בקר (boker); Form: Preposition + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “in the morning”; Notes: Time reference confirming the aftermath.
- וְהִנֵּ֥ה (ve-hinne) – Root: הנה (hinneh); Form: Interjection; Translation: “and behold”; Notes: Introduces a dramatic or startling observation.
- כֻלָּ֖ם (kullam) – Root: כל (kol); Form: Noun + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “all of them”; Notes: Totality of those found dead.
- פְּגָרִ֥ים (pegarim) – Root: פגר (peger); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “corpses”; Notes: Emphasizes death and judgment.
- מֵתִֽים (metim) – Root: מות (mut); Form: Adjective or participle masculine plural; Translation: “dead”; Notes: Reinforces the condition of the Assyrian soldiers.