וַיֹּאמְר֤וּ אֵלָיו֙ מַה־נַּ֣עֲשֶׂה לָּ֔ךְ וְיִשְׁתֹּ֥ק הַיָּ֖ם מֵֽעָלֵ֑ינוּ כִּ֥י הַיָּ֖ם הֹולֵ֥ךְ וְסֹעֵֽר׃
And they said to him, “What shall we do to you, and the sea will quiet from upon us?” for the sea was going and storming.
Morphology
- וַיֹּאמְר֤וּ (va-yomru) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Conjunction וַ + Qal wayyiqtol 3mp; Translation: “And they said”; Notes: Continues the narrative dialogue from the sailors.
- אֵלָיו֙ (elav) – Root: אל (ʾ-l); Form: Preposition אֶל + suffix 3ms; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Marks Yonah as the recipient of their question.
- מַה־ (mah) – Root: מה (mah); Form: Interrogative pronoun; Translation: “What”; Notes: Introduces an urgent question.
- נַּ֣עֲשֶׂה (naʿaseh) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Qal imperfect 1cp; Translation: “shall we do”; Notes: Indicates their willingness to act.
- לָּ֔ךְ (lakh) – Root: ל (l); Form: Preposition לְ + suffix 2ms; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Direct object of their intended action.
- וְיִשְׁתֹּ֥ק (ve-yishtok) – Root: שתק (sh-t-q); Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal imperfect 3ms; Translation: “and it will quiet”; Notes: Refers to calming of the sea.
- הַיָּ֖ם (ha-yam) – Root: ים (yam); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the sea”; Notes: Subject of the verb “will quiet.”
- מֵֽעָלֵ֑ינוּ (meʿalenu) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition מִן + preposition עַל + suffix 1cp; Translation: “from upon us”; Notes: Indicates removal of danger from themselves.
- כִּ֥י (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the reason for their distress.
- הַיָּ֖ם (ha-yam) – Root: ים (yam); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the sea”; Notes: Repeated for emphasis.
- הֹולֵ֥ךְ (holekh) – Root: הלך (halakh); Form: Qal participle ms; Translation: “was going”; Notes: Describes continuous turbulent motion.
- וְסֹעֵֽר (ve-soʿer) – Root: סער (saʿar); Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal participle ms; Translation: “and storming”; Notes: Intensifies the raging state of the sea.