וַ֠יֵּצֵא יִשְׁמָעֵ֨אל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָ֤ה לִקְרָאתָם֙ מִן־הַמִּצְפָּ֔ה הֹלֵ֥ךְ הָלֹ֖ךְ וּבֹכֶ֑ה וַֽיְהִי֙ כִּפְגֹ֣שׁ אֹתָ֔ם וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם בֹּ֖אוּ אֶל־גְּדַלְיָ֥הוּ בֶן־אֲחִיקָֽם׃ ס
And Yishmaʿel son of Netanya went out to meet them from the Mitzpa, going and weeping as he went. And it came to pass, when he met them, that he said to them, “Come to Gedalyahu son of Aḥiqam.”
Morphology
- וַיֵּצֵא (va-yetze) – Root: יצא (yatsaʾ); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he went out”; Notes: Describes Yishmaʿel’s approach.
- יִשְׁמָעֵאל (Yishmaʿel) – Root: ישׁמעאל (Yishmaʿel); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yishmaʿel”; Notes: The conspirator and assassin of Gedalyahu.
- בֶּן־נְתַנְיָה (ben-Netanyah) – Root: נתניה (Netanyah); Form: Construct phrase; Translation: “son of Netanyah”; Notes: Patronymic identifier.
- לִקְרָאתָם (li-qratam) – Root: קרא (qaraʾ, “to meet, encounter”); Form: Preposition ל + noun feminine singular construct + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to meet them”; Notes: Purpose of his going out.
- מִן־הַמִּצְפָּה (min-ha-Mitzpah) – Root: מצפה (Mitzpah); Form: Preposition מ + definite proper noun; Translation: “from the Mitzpah”; Notes: Place where Gedalyahu had resided.
- הֹלֵךְ (holekh) – Root: הלך (halakh); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “going”; Notes: Depicts motion.
- הָלֹךְ (halokh) – Root: הלך (halakh); Form: Qal infinitive absolute; Translation: “as he went”; Notes: Intensifies the act of going, expressing continuous motion.
- וּבֹכֶה (u-voḵeh) – Root: בכה (bakah); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “and weeping”; Notes: Adds a display of feigned grief.
- וַיְהִי (va-yehi) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And it came to pass”; Notes: Narrative continuation.
- כִּפְגֹשׁ (ki-fgosh) – Root: פגשׁ (pagash); Form: Conjunction כּ + Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “when he met”; Notes: Temporal clause introducing the encounter.
- אֹתָם (otam) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Direct object marker + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “them”; Notes: The pilgrims arriving from Shekhem, Shiloh, and Shomeron.
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
- אֲלֵיהֶם (aleihem) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Directs speech to the group.
- בֹּאוּ (boʾu) – Root: בוא (boʾ); Form: Qal imperative 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “Come”; Notes: Invitation or command to follow him.
- אֶל־גְּדַלְיָהוּ (el-Gedalyahu) – Root: גדליהו (Gedalyahu); Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “to Gedalyahu”; Notes: The supposed destination, used deceptively.
- בֶן־אֲחִיקָם (ben-Aḥiqam) – Root: אחיקם (Aḥiqam); Form: Construct phrase; Translation: “son of Aḥiqam”; Notes: Patronymic identifier.