Zechariah 4:13

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלַי֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר הֲלֹ֥וא יָדַ֖עְתָּ מָה־אֵ֑לֶּה וָאֹמַ֖ר לֹ֥א אֲדֹנִֽי׃

And he said to me, saying, “Have you not known what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.”

Morphology

1. וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Continues the dialogue from the interpreting messenger.
2. אֵלַי (elai) – Root: —; Form: Preposition אֶל + suffix 1st person singular; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Identifies the prophet as the addressee.
3. לֵאמֹר (lemor) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Preposition לְ + infinitive construct; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Standard Hebrew speech-introduction formula.
4. הֲלֹוא (halo) – Root: —; Form: Interrogative particle; Translation: “Have … not?”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical question expecting affirmation.
5. יָדַעְתָּ (yadata) – Root: ידע (yadaʿ); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you have known”; Notes: Assumes the prophet should already understand.
6. מָה (mah) – Root: —; Form: Interrogative pronoun; Translation: “what”; Notes: Introduces the content of understanding.
7. אֵלֶּה (elleh) – Root: —; Form: Demonstrative pronoun plural; Translation: “these”; Notes: Refers to the symbolic elements of the vision.
8. וָאֹמַר (va-omar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 1st person singular; Translation: “And I said”; Notes: The prophet’s response shows continued uncertainty.
9. לֹא (lo) – Root: —; Form: Negative particle; Translation: “No”; Notes: A direct and unembellished denial of knowledge.
10. אֲדֹנִי (adoní) – Root: אדן (adon); Form: Noun masculine singular + suffix 1st person singular; Translation: “my lord”; Notes: Respectful address directed toward the interpreting messenger, not a divine title in this context.