וַיִּתְפַּלֵּ֨ל אֶל־יְהוָ֜ה וַיֹּאמַ֗ר אָנָּ֤ה יְהוָה֙ הֲלֹוא־זֶ֣ה דְבָרִ֗י עַד־הֱיֹותִי֙ עַל־אַדְמָתִ֔י עַל־כֵּ֥ן קִדַּ֖מְתִּי לִבְרֹ֣חַ תַּרְשִׁ֑ישָׁה כִּ֣י יָדַ֗עְתִּי כִּ֤י אַתָּה֙ אֵֽל־חַנּ֣וּן וְרַח֔וּם אֶ֤רֶךְ אַפַּ֨יִם֙ וְרַב־חֶ֔סֶד וְנִחָ֖ם עַל־הָרָעָֽה׃
And he prayed to YHWH and said, “Please, YHWH, was not this my word while I was still on my land? Therefore I hastened to flee to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in kindness, and relenting from the evil.
Morphology
- וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל (va-yitpallel) – Root: פלל (palal); Form: Hitpael wayyiqtol 3ms; Translation: “And he prayed”; Notes: Yonah turns to YHWH in complaint.
- 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: Recipient of Yonah’s prayer.
- וַיֹּאמַר (va-yomar) – Root: אמר (amar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3ms; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Introduces Yonah’s speech.
- אָנָּה (anna) – Root: אנה (anah); Form: Particle of entreaty; Translation: “please”; Notes: Expresses urgent pleading.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: הוה (havah); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Direct address.
- הֲלֹוא (halo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Interrogative particle + negative; Translation: “was not”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical question.
- זֶה (zeh) – Root: זה (zeh); Form: Demonstrative pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Refers to Yonah’s prior concern.
- דְבָרִי (devari) – Root: דבר (davar); Form: Noun masculine singular + suffix 1cs; Translation: “my word”; Notes: Yonah’s original objection.
- עַד (ʿad) – Root: עד (ʿad); Form: Preposition; Translation: “while”; Notes: Marks circumstance.
- הֱיֹותִי (heyoti) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal infinitive construct + suffix 1cs; Translation: “I was”; Notes: Yonah’s earlier location.
- עַל (ʿal) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition עַל; Translation: “on”; Notes: Spatial marker.
- אַדְמָתִי (admati) – Root: אדמה (adamah); Form: Noun feminine singular + suffix 1cs; Translation: “my land”; Notes: Refers to Yonah’s homeland.
- עַל (ʿal) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: Here marking cause (idiomatic use).
- כֵּן (ken) – Root: כן (ken); Form: Adverb; Translation: “thus”; Notes: Introduces reason for fleeing.
- קִדַּמְתִּי (kiddamti) – Root: קדם (kadam); Form: Piel perfect 1cs; Translation: “I hastened”; Notes: Emphasizes urgency in fleeing.
- לִבְרֹחַ (livroaḥ) – Root: ברח (barach); Form: Preposition לְ + Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “to flee”; Notes: Purpose of Yonah’s haste.
- תַּרְשִׁישָׁה (Tarshishah) – Root: תרשיש (Tarshish); Form: Proper noun feminine sing.; Translation: “to Tarshish”; Notes: Destination of Yonah’s attempted escape.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces explanation.
- יָדַעְתִּי (yadaʿti) – Root: ידע (yadaʿ); Form: Qal perfect 1cs; Translation: “I knew”; Notes: Yonah’s theological certainty.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “that”; Notes: Introduces content of knowledge.
- אַתָּה (attah) – Root: את (ʾat); Form: Independent pronoun 2ms; Translation: “You”; Notes: Direct address to YHWH.
- אֵל (el) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “a God”; Notes: Predicate of the following attributes.
- חַנּוּן (chanun) – Root: חנן (chanan); Form: Adjective masculine singular; Translation: “gracious”; Notes: Divine attribute of favor.
- וְרַחוּם (ve-raḥum) – Root: רחם (racham); Form: Conjunction + adjective masculine singular; Translation: “and compassionate”; Notes: Emphasizes YHWH’s mercy.
- אֶרֶךְ (erekh) – Root: ארך (arakh); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “slow of”; Notes: Part of a divine epithet.
- אַפַּיִם (appayim) – Root: אף (aph); Form: Dual noun; Translation: “anger”; Notes: As in “slow to anger.”
- וְרַב (ve-rav) – Root: רבב (ravav); Form: Conjunction + adjective masculine singular; Translation: “and abundant”; Notes: Introduces another divine trait.
- חֶסֶד (chesed) – Root: חסד (chesed); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “kindness”; Notes: Refers to covenantal loyalty.
- וְנִחָם (ve-nicham) – Root: נחם (nacham); Form: Nifal participle masculine singular; Translation: “and relenting”; Notes: Describes YHWH’s willingness to withdraw judgment.
- עַל (ʿal) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition עַל; Translation: “from / concerning”; Notes: Relates to the action reversed.
- הָרָעָה (ha-raʿah) – Root: רעע (raʿaʿ); Form: Definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “the evil”; Notes: Refers to the threatened judgment.