וָאֹמַ֣ר אֲלֵהֶ֔ם מָ֣ה הַבָּמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־אַתֶּ֥ם הַבָּאִ֖ים שָׁ֑ם וַיִּקָּרֵ֤א שְׁמָהּ֙ בָּמָ֔ה עַ֖ד הַיֹּ֥ום הַזֶּֽה׃
And I said to them, ‘What is the high place to which you are coming there?’ And it is called its name Bama to this day.”’
Morphology
- וָאֹמַר (va-ʾomar) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 1cs; Translation: “And I said”; Notes: Continuation of prophetic speech.
- אֲלֵהֶם (ʾalehem) – Root: אל; Form: Preposition + 3mp suffix; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Refers to the people of Yisraʾel.
- מָה (mah) – Form: Interrogative pronoun; Translation: “what”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical or critical question.
- הַבָּמָה (ha-bamah) – Root: במה; Form: Noun feminine singular with definite article; Translation: “the high place”; Notes: Refers to pagan worship site.
- אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) – Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “which”; Notes: Introduces subordinate clause.
- אַתֶּם (ʾatem) – Root: אתם; Form: Independent pronoun 2mp; Translation: “you”; Notes: Subject of the verb.
- הַבָּאִים (ha-baʾim) – Root: בוא; Form: Qal participle masculine plural with article; Translation: “coming”; Notes: Ongoing action.
- שָׁם (sham) – Form: Adverb of place; Translation: “there”; Notes: Indicates location of the high place.
- וַיִּקָּרֵא (va-yiqqareʾ) – Root: קרא; Form: Niphal wayyiqtol 3ms; Translation: “and it was called”; Notes: Passive construction.
- שְׁמָהּ (shemah) – Root: שם; Form: Noun masculine singular + 3fs suffix; Translation: “its name”; Notes: Refers to the high place.
- בָּמָה (bamah) – Root: במה; Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “Bamah”; Notes: Wordplay: “high place” becomes its proper name.
- עַד (ʿad) – Form: Preposition; Translation: “until”; Notes: Expresses duration.
- הַיֹּום (ha-yom) – Root: יום; Form: Noun masculine singular with article; Translation: “the day”; Notes: Indicates continuity.
- הַזֶּה (ha-zeh) – Root: זה; Form: Demonstrative masculine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Modifies “the day.”