וַיֹּ֗אמֶר קָ֠רָאתִי מִצָּ֥רָה לִ֛י אֶל־יְהוָ֖ה וַֽיַּעֲנֵ֑נִי מִבֶּ֧טֶן שְׁאֹ֛ול שִׁוַּ֖עְתִּי שָׁמַ֥עְתָּ קֹולִֽי׃
And he said: “I called from my distress to YHWH and He answered me; from the belly of Sheʾol I cried out, You heard my voice.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (amar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3ms; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Introduces Yonah’s prayer report.
- קָרָאתִי (qarati) – Root: קרא (qaraʾ); Form: Qal perfect 1cs; Translation: “I called”; Notes: Yonah recounts his cry for help.
- מִצָּרָה (mi-tsarah) – Root: צרר (tsarar); Form: Preposition מִן + noun feminine singular; Translation: “from distress”; Notes: Describes his dire situation.
- לִי (li) – Root: ל (l); Form: Preposition לְ + suffix 1cs; Translation: “for me”; Notes: Marks personal affliction.
- אֶל (el) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition אֶל; Translation: “to”; Notes: Direction of prayer.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: הוה (havah); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Covenant name of God.
- וַיַּעֲנֵנִי (va-yaʿaneni) – Root: ענה (ʿanah); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3ms + suffix 1cs; Translation: “and he answered me”; Notes: God’s response to Yonah’s distress.
- מִבֶּטֶן (mi-beten) – Root: בטן (beten); Form: Preposition מִן + noun masculine singular; Translation: “from the belly of”; Notes: Locates the origin of Yonah’s cry.
- שְׁאוֹל (Sheʾol) – Root: שאול (Sheʾol); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Sheʾol”; Notes: Symbolic of near-death or the realm of the dead.
- שִׁוַּעְתִּי (shiwwaʿti) – Root: שׁוע (shavaʿ); Form: Piel perfect 1cs; Translation: “I cried for help”; Notes: Intensive form indicating urgent supplication.
- שָׁמַעְתָּ (shamʿata) – Root: שׁמע (shamaʿ); Form: Qal perfect 2ms; Translation: “You heard”; Notes: Direct address to YHWH acknowledging his response.
- קוֹלִי (qoli) – Root: קול (qol); Form: Noun masculine singular + suffix 1cs; Translation: “my voice”; Notes: Emphasizes personal plea and divine attention.