וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם֙ רַב־שָׁקֵ֔ה אִמְרוּ־נָ֖א אֶל־חִזְקִיָּ֑הוּ כֹּֽה־אָמַ֞ר הַמֶּ֤לֶךְ הַגָּדֹול֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ אַשּׁ֔וּר מָ֧ה הַבִּטָּחֹ֛ון הַזֶּ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר בָּטָֽחְתָּ׃
And Rav-shaqe said to them, “Please say to Ḥizqiyyahu: ‘Thus says the great king, the king of Ashshur: “What is this trust in which you have trusted?
Morphology
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Introduces direct speech in a narrative sequence.
- אֲלֵיהֶם (aleihem) – Root: אל; Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Indicates the direction of Rav-shaqeh’s words.
- רַב־שָׁקֵה (rav-shaqeh) – Root: רב + שק; Form: Construct form, title; Translation: “Rav-shaqeh”; Notes: An Assyrian official title meaning “chief cupbearer” or high-ranking envoy.
- אִמְרוּ־נָא (imru-na) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal imperative masculine plural + enclitic particle; Translation: “Please say”; Notes: Polite request addressed to a group.
- אֶל־חִזְקִיָּהוּ (el-Ḥizqiyyahu) – Root: אל + proper noun; Form: Preposition + proper noun masculine singular; Translation: “to Ḥizqiyyahu”; Notes: The king of Yisraʾel, addressed indirectly.
- כֹּה־אָמַר (koh-amar) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “Thus says”; Notes: Prophetic or authoritative speech formula.
- הַמֶּלֶךְ (ha-melekh) – Root: מלך; Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the king”; Notes: Subject of the declarative formula.
- הַגָּדֹול (ha-gadol) – Root: גדל; Form: Adjective masculine singular definite; Translation: “the great”; Notes: Modifies “king,” emphasizing might and prestige.
- מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר (melekh Ashshur) – Root: מלך + אשׁור; Form: Noun construct + proper noun; Translation: “king of Ashshur”; Notes: Indicates Assyrian imperial authority.
- מָה (mah) – Root: interrogative pronoun; Form: Independent; Translation: “What”; Notes: Begins the rhetorical question.
- הַבִּטָּחֹון (ha-bittaḥon) – Root: בטח; Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the trust”; Notes: The subject of the question, referring to confidence or security.
- הַזֶּה (ha-zeh) – Root: זה; Form: Demonstrative pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Specifies the particular trust being challenged.
- אֲשֶׁר (asher) – Root: Relative pronoun; Form: Independent; Translation: “that”; Notes: Introduces a relative clause modifying “trust.”
- בָּטָחְתָּ (bataḥta) – Root: בטח; Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you have trusted”; Notes: Refers to the trust placed by Ḥizqiyyahu in something or someone.