וַיָּ֨שָׁב֙ רַב־שָׁקֵ֔ה וַיִּמְצָא֙ אֶת־מֶ֣לֶךְ אַשּׁ֔וּר נִלְחָ֖ם עַל־לִבְנָ֑ה כִּ֣י שָׁמַ֔ע כִּ֥י נָסַ֖ע מִלָּכִֽישׁ׃
And Rav-shaqe returned and found the king of Ashshur fighting against Livnah, for he had heard that he had departed from Lakhish.
Morphology
- וַיָּ֨שָׁב (va-yashav) – Root: שוב (shuv); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he returned”; Notes: Marks the return of Rav-shaqeh from his mission.
- רַב־שָׁקֵ֔ה (Rav-shaqeh) – Root: Akkadian origin; Form: Proper noun/title; Translation: “Rav-shaqeh”; Notes: The Assyrian military official or spokesman.
- וַיִּמְצָא֙ (va-yimtza) – Root: מצא (matsaʾ); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he found”; Notes: Introduces what Rav-shaqeh encounters upon returning.
- אֶת־מֶ֣לֶךְ (et-melekh) – Root: מלך (melekh); Form: Direct object marker + noun masculine singular in construct; Translation: “the king of”; Notes: Object of the verb “found.”
- אַשּׁ֔וּר (Ashshur) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Proper name masculine singular; Translation: “Ashshur”; Notes: Refers to the Assyrian empire and its king.
- נִלְחָ֖ם (nilḥam) – Root: לחם (laḥam); Form: Nifal participle masculine singular; Translation: “fighting”; Notes: Describes the king of Ashshur as actively engaged in battle.
- עַל־לִבְנָ֑ה (ʿal-Livnah) – Root: לבנ (livnah); Form: Preposition עַל + proper noun; Translation: “against Livnah”; Notes: Livnah was a fortified city in Yehudah.
- כִּ֣י (ki) – Root: Conjunction; Form: Causal conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the reason for Rav-shaqeh’s return or the king’s presence.
- שָׁמַ֔ע (shamaʿ) – Root: שמע (shamaʿ); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he had heard”; Notes: Refers either to Rav-shaqeh or the king, depending on interpretation.
- כִּ֥י (ki) – Root: Conjunction; Form: Causal; Translation: “that”; Notes: Introduces a subordinate clause giving the content of what was heard.
- נָסַ֖ע (nasaʿ) – Root: נסע (nasaʿ); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he had departed”; Notes: Indicates movement away from a former location.
- מִלָּכִֽישׁ (mi-Lakhish) – Root: לכיש (Lakhish); Form: Preposition מִן + proper noun; Translation: “from Lakhish”; Notes: Lakhish was an important fortified city in southwestern Yehudah.