וַיָּבֹא֙ יְשַׁעְיָ֣הוּ הַנָּבִ֔יא אֶל־הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ חִזְקִיָּ֑הוּ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֵלָ֜יו מָ֥ה אָמְר֣וּ הָאֲנָשִׁ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה וּמֵאַ֨יִן֙ יָבֹ֣אוּ אֵלֶ֔יךָ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ חִזְקִיָּ֔הוּ מֵאֶ֧רֶץ רְחֹוקָ֛ה בָּ֥אוּ אֵלַ֖י מִבָּבֶֽל׃
And Yeshaʿyahu the prophet came to King Ḥizqiyyahu and said to him, “What did these men say, and from where did they come to you?” And Ḥizqiyyahu said, “From a distant land they have come to me, from Bavel.”
Morphology
- וַיָּבֹא (va-yavo) – Root: בוא; Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he came”; Notes: Introduces the prophet’s arrival in narrative sequence.
- יְשַׁעְיָהוּ (Yeshaʿyahu) – Root: ישע; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yeshaʿyahu”; Notes: The prophet, whose name means “YHWH is salvation.”
- הַנָּבִיא (ha-naviʾ) – Root: נבא; Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the prophet”; Notes: Appositional to Yeshaʿyahu, identifying his role.
- אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ (el-ha-melekh) – Root: מלך; Form: Preposition + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “to the king”; Notes: Directional phrase showing audience of the prophet.
- חִזְקִיָּהוּ (Ḥizqiyyahu) – Root: חזק; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Ḥizqiyyahu”; Notes: King of Yehudah, receiving the prophet’s inquiry.
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Standard introductory form for speech.
- אֵלָיו (elav) – Root: אל; Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers back to Ḥizqiyyahu.
- מָה (mah) – Root: מה; Form: Interrogative pronoun; Translation: “What”; Notes: Begins the prophet’s question.
- אָמְרוּ (amru) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “did they say”; Notes: Refers to the Babylonian envoys.
- הָאֲנָשִׁים (ha-anashim) – Root: אנש; Form: Definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “the men”; Notes: Subject of the prophet’s question.
- הָאֵלֶּה (ha-elleh) – Root: אלה; Form: Demonstrative pronoun masculine plural; Translation: “these”; Notes: Specifies the previously mentioned visitors.
- וּמֵאַיִן (u-meʾayin) – Root: אין; Form: Conjunction + preposition + interrogative; Translation: “and from where”; Notes: Begins second part of the prophet’s question.
- יָבֹאוּ (yavoʾu) – Root: בוא; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “did they come”; Notes: Future form used in past interrogative context.
- אֵלֶיךָ (elekha) – Root: אל; Form: Preposition + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Referring to Ḥizqiyyahu.
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Begins Ḥizqiyyahu’s reply.
- חִזְקִיָּהוּ (Ḥizqiyyahu) – Root: חזק; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Ḥizqiyyahu”; Notes: Repeats subject to introduce speech.
- מֵאֶרֶץ (me-ʾerets) – Root: ארץ; Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular; Translation: “from a land”; Notes: Begins Ḥizqiyyahu’s explanation.
- רְחֹוקָה (reḥoqah) – Root: רחק; Form: Adjective feminine singular; Translation: “distant”; Notes: Modifies “land.”
- בָּאוּ (baʾu) – Root: בוא; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they came”; Notes: Parallel to earlier “yavoʾu.”
- אֵלַי (elai) – Root: אל; Form: Preposition + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Personal recipient of the envoys’ visit.
- מִבָּבֶל (mi-Bavel) – Root: בבל; Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “from Bavel”; Notes: Refers to the empire of Babylon, sender of the envoys.