וַיָּבֹא֙ יְשַֽׁעְיָ֣הוּ הַנָּבִ֔יא אֶל־הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ חִזְקִיָּ֑הוּ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֵלָ֜יו מָ֥ה אָמְר֣וּ הָאֲנָשִׁ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה וּמֵאַ֨יִן֙ יָבֹ֣אוּ אֵלֶ֔יךָ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ חִזְקִיָּ֔הוּ מֵאֶ֧רֶץ רְחֹוקָ֛ה בָּ֖אוּ מִבָּבֶֽל׃
And Yeshayahu the prophet came to King Ḥizqiyahu, and he said to him, “What did these men say, and from where did they come to you?” And Ḥizqiyahu said, “From a far land they have come, from Bavel.”
Morphology
- וַיָּבֹא֙ (va-yavo) – Root: בוא (bo); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he came”; Notes: Marks the prophet’s arrival before the king.
- יְשַֽׁעְיָ֣הוּ (Yeshayahu) – Root: ישע (yeshaʿ) + יהו (yahu); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yeshayahu”; Notes: The prophet delivering YHWH’s inquiry.
- הַנָּבִ֔יא (ha-naviʾ) – Root: נבא (naviʾ); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the prophet”; Notes: Clarifies the office and authority of the speaker.
- אֶל־הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ (el-ha-melekh) – Root: מלך (melekh); Form: Preposition + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “to the king”; Notes: Direct object of the prophet’s approach.
- חִזְקִיָּ֑הוּ (Ḥizqiyyahu) – Root: חזק (ḥazaq) + יהו (Yahu); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Ḥizqiyahu”; Notes: King of Yehudah and recipient of the prophet’s question.
- וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Introduces Yeshayahu’s question.
- אֵלָ֜יו (elav) – Root: אל (el); Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers to Ḥizqiyahu.
- מָ֥ה (mah) – Root: מה (mah); Form: Interrogative pronoun; Translation: “What”; Notes: Begins the first of two questions.
- אָמְר֣וּ (amru) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “did they say”; Notes: Refers to the envoys’ speech or message.
- הָאֲנָשִׁ֣ים (ha-anashim) – Root: איש (ʾish); Form: Definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “the men”; Notes: Identifies the Babylonian envoys.
- הָאֵ֗לֶּה (ha-elleh) – Root: אלה (elleh); Form: Demonstrative pronoun masculine plural; Translation: “these”; Notes: Demonstrative modifier of “the men.”
- וּמֵאַ֨יִן (u-meʾayin) – Root: אין (ʾayin); Form: Conjunction + interrogative preposition; Translation: “and from where”; Notes: Begins second question.
- יָבֹ֣אוּ (yavoʾu) – Root: בוא (bo); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “did they come”; Notes: Refers to the origin of the envoys.
- אֵלֶ֔יךָ (elekha) – Root: אל (el); Form: Preposition + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Addressed to Ḥizqiyahu directly.
- וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Begins Ḥizqiyahu’s reply.
- חִזְקִיָּ֔הוּ (Ḥizqiyyahu) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Masculine singular; Translation: “Ḥizqiyahu”; Notes: Subject of the reply.
- מֵאֶ֧רֶץ רְחֹוקָ֛ה (me-ʾerets reḥoqah) – Root: ארץ (ʾerets) + רחק (raḥaq); Form: Preposition + noun + adjective; Translation: “from a far land”; Notes: Describes the distant origin of the envoys.
- בָּ֖אוּ (baʾu) – Root: בוא (bo); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they have come”; Notes: Follows the subject for emphasis.
- מִבָּבֶֽל (mi-Bavel) – Root: בבל (Bavel); Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “from Bavel”; Notes: Identifies the foreign power involved—Babylon.