אֶל־דֶּ֛רֶךְ עִמְדִ֥י וְצַפִּ֖י יֹושֶׁ֣בֶת עֲרֹועֵ֑ר שַׁאֲלִי־נָ֣ס וְנִמְלָ֔טָה אִמְרִ֖י מַה־נִּֽהְיָֽתָה׃
Stand by the way and watch, O inhabitant of ʿAroʿer; ask him who flees and her who escapes, say, ‘What has happened?’
Morphology
- אֶל־דֶּרֶךְ (el-derekh) – Root: דרך; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “by the way”; Notes: Indicates the roadside vantage point.
- עִמְדִי (ʿimdi) – Root: עמד; Form: Qal imperative 2fs; Translation: “stand”; Notes: Command to the inhabitant of ʿAroʿer.
- וְצַפִּי (ve-tsappi) – Root: צפה; Form: Qal imperative 2fs; Translation: “and watch”; Notes: Refers to observing refugees on the road.
- יֹושֶׁבֶת (yoshevet) – Root: ישׁב; Form: Qal participle feminine singular; Translation: “inhabitant”; Notes: Direct address to the city’s inhabitant.
- עֲרֹועֵר (ʿAroʿer) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Place name; Translation: “ʿAroʿer”; Notes: Moabite city situated by the Arnon River.
- שַׁאֲלִי (shaʾali) – Root: שׁאל; Form: Qal imperative 2fs; Translation: “ask”; Notes: Instruction to inquire from the refugees.
- נָס (nas) – Root: נוס; Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “him who flees”; Notes: Refers to the male refugee.
- וְנִמְלָטָה (ve-nimlatah) – Root: מלט; Form: Niphal participle feminine singular; Translation: “and her who escapes”; Notes: Feminine form balances the previous masculine term.
- אִמְרִי (imri) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal imperative 2fs; Translation: “say”; Notes: Command to address the question to the fleeing ones.
- מַה־נִּהְיָתָה (mah-nihyetah) – Root: היה; Form: Interrogative + Niphal perfect 3fs; Translation: “what has happened?”; Notes: Feminine form agrees with the implied calamity (often feminine in Hebrew idiom).