וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ יְחִזְקִיָּ֔הוּ נָקֵ֣ל לַצֵּ֔ל לִנְטֹ֖ות עֶ֣שֶׂר מַעֲלֹ֑ות לֹ֣א כִ֔י יָשׁ֥וּב הַצֵּ֛ל אֲחֹרַנִּ֖ית עֶ֥שֶׂר מַעֲלֹֽות׃
And Ḥizqiyahu said, “It is easy for the shadow to go forward ten steps—no, but let the shadow return backward ten steps.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Introduces Ḥizqiyahu’s response.
- יְחִזְקִיָּ֔הוּ (Yeḥizqiyyahu) – Root: חזק (ḥazaq) + יהו (Yahu); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Ḥizqiyahu”; Notes: King of Yehudah, speaker in this verse.
- נָקֵ֣ל (naqel) – Root: קלל (qalal); Form: Niphal (or adjective used nominally); Translation: “It is easy”; Notes: States that the forward movement of the shadow is natural or expected.
- לַצֵּ֔ל (la-tzel) – Root: צלל (tsalal); Form: Preposition לְ + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “for the shadow”; Notes: Refers to the sign being requested.
- לִנְטֹ֖ות (linṭot) – Root: נטה (natah); Form: Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “to go forward”; Notes: Describes natural extension of a shadow.
- עֶ֣שֶׂר מַעֲלֹ֑ות (ʿeser maʿalot) – Root: עשר (ʿeser) + עלה (ʿalah); Form: Cardinal number + feminine plural noun; Translation: “ten steps”; Notes: Refers to the steps of a stair or sundial scale.
- לֹ֣א (lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “no”; Notes: Emphatic denial preceding the actual request.
- כִ֔י (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “but”; Notes: Used here to contrast the preferred sign.
- יָשׁ֥וּב (yashuv) – Root: שוב (shuv); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “let it return”; Notes: Refers to reversal of the shadow’s direction.
- הַצֵּ֛ל (ha-tzel) – Root: צלל (tsalal); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the shadow”; Notes: Subject of the miraculous sign.
- אֲחֹרַנִּ֖ית (aḥorannit) – Root: אחר (ʾaḥar); Form: Adverbial noun; Translation: “backward”; Notes: Emphasizes the miraculous nature of reversing time or movement.
- עֶ֥שֶׂר מַעֲלֹֽות (ʿeser maʿalot) – Root: עשר (ʿeser) + עלה (ʿalah); Form: Cardinal number + feminine plural noun; Translation: “ten steps”; Notes: Repetition of the sign’s extent for emphasis.