וַעֲשָׂרָ֨ה אֲנָשִׁ֜ים נִמְצְאוּ־בָ֗ם וַיֹּאמְר֤וּ אֶל־יִשְׁמָעֵאל֙ אַל־תְּמִתֵ֔נוּ כִּֽי־יֶשׁ־לָ֤נוּ מַטְמֹנִים֙ בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה חִטִּ֥ים וּשְׂעֹרִ֖ים וְשֶׁ֣מֶן וּדְבָ֑שׁ וַיֶּחְדַּ֕ל וְלֹ֥א הֱמִיתָ֖ם בְּתֹ֥וךְ אֲחֵיהֶֽם׃
And ten men were found among them, and they said to Yishmaʿel, “Do not put us to death, for we have hidden stores in the field, wheat and barley and oil and honey.” So he refrained and did not put them to death among their brothers.
Morphology
- וַעֲשָׂרָה (va-ʿasara) – Root: עשר (ʿeser); Form: Conjunction + numeral masculine singular; Translation: “And ten”; Notes: Introduces the group of spared men.
- אֲנָשִׁים (anashim) – Root: אישׁ (ʾish); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “men”; Notes: Completes the subject “ten men.”
- נִמְצְאוּ־בָם (nimtzeʾu-vam) – Root: מצא (matzaʾ); Form: Nifal perfect 3rd person masculine plural + preposition ב with 3rd person plural suffix; Translation: “were found among them”; Notes: Indicates presence within the larger group.
- וַיֹּאמְרוּ (va-yomeru) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they said”; Notes: Introduces their plea to Yishmaʿel.
- אֶל־יִשְׁמָעֵאל (el-Yishmaʿel) – Root: ישׁמעאל (Yishmaʿel); Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “to Yishmaʿel”; Notes: The leader of the massacre.
- אַל־תְּמִתֵנוּ (ʾal-temitenu) – Root: מות (mut); Form: Negative particle + Hifil imperfect 2nd person masculine singular + 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “Do not put us to death”; Notes: Direct plea for mercy.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Provides the reason for sparing them.
- יֶשׁ־לָנוּ (yesh-lanu) – Root: ישׁ (yesh); Form: Existential particle + preposition ל with 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “we have”; Notes: Asserts possession.
- מַטְמֹנִים (matmonim) – Root: טמן (taman); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “hidden stores”; Notes: Refers to buried supplies of food.
- בַּשָּׂדֶה (ba-sadeh) – Root: שׂדה (sadeh); Form: Preposition ב + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “in the field”; Notes: Location of the supplies.
- חִטִּים (ḥittim) – Root: חטה (ḥitah); Form: Noun feminine plural; Translation: “wheat”; Notes: Item of the hidden stores.
- וּשְׂעֹרִים (u-seʿorim) – Root: שׂער (seʿorah); Form: Conjunction + noun feminine plural; Translation: “and barley”; Notes: Second item of the hidden stores.
- וְשֶׁמֶן (ve-shemen) – Root: שׁמן (shemen); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “and oil”; Notes: Valuable commodity among the hidden goods.
- וּדְבָשׁ (u-devash) – Root: דבשׁ (devash); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “and honey”; Notes: Final item of the hidden provisions.
- וַיֶּחְדַּל (va-yeḥdal) – Root: חדל (ḥadal); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he refrained”; Notes: Yishmaʿel ceased his slaughter.
- וְלֹא (ve-lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Conjunction + negative particle; Translation: “and not”; Notes: Negates the following verb.
- הֱמִיתָם (hemitam) – Root: מות (mut); Form: Hifil perfect 3rd person masculine singular + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “he put them to death”; Notes: Refers to sparing their lives.
- בְּתֹוךְ (be-tokh) – Root: תוך (tokh); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “among”; Notes: Indicates spatial relation.
- אֲחֵיהֶם (aḥeihem) – Root: אח (ʾaḥ); Form: Construct noun masculine plural + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “their brothers”; Notes: Refers to the rest of their fellow men who were slain.