בְּלֶכְתָּ֣ם יֵלֵ֔כוּ וּבְעָמְדָ֖ם יַֽעֲמֹ֑דוּ וּֽבְהִנָּשְׂאָ֞ם מֵעַ֣ל הָאָ֗רֶץ יִנָּשְׂא֤וּ הָאֹֽופַנִּים֙ לְעֻמָּתָ֔ם כִּ֛י ר֥וּחַ הַחַיָּ֖ה בָּאֹופַנִּֽים׃
When they went, they went, and when they stood, they stood; and when they were lifted up from upon the earth, the wheels were lifted up alongside them, for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
Morphology
- בְּלֶכְתָּם (be-lekhtam) – Root: הלך; Form: Preposition בְּ + Qal infinitive construct + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “when they went”; Notes: Infinitive construct functioning temporally, marking the time of movement.
- יֵלֵכוּ (yeleku) – Root: הלך; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they went”; Notes: Verbal repetition for emphasis, characteristic of Hebrew narrative style.
- וּבְעָמְדָם (u-veʿamdam) – Root: עמד; Form: Conjunction + preposition בְּ + Qal infinitive construct + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “and when they stood”; Notes: Temporal clause parallel to “when they went.”
- יַעֲמֹדוּ (yaʿamodu) – Root: עמד; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they stood”; Notes: Describes stationary posture, balancing the movement clauses.
- וּבְהִנָּשְׂאָם (u-ve-hinnaseʾam) – Root: נשא; Form: Conjunction + preposition בְּ + Niphal infinitive construct + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “and when they were lifted up”; Notes: Passive form, stressing divine or external agency lifting them.
- מֵעַל (me-ʿal) – Root: על; Form: Preposition מִן + עַל; Translation: “from upon”; Notes: Indicates separation from the surface of the earth.
- הָאָרֶץ (ha-ʾarets) – Root: ארץ; Form: Noun feminine singular with article; Translation: “the earth”; Notes: Ground level as contrasted with heavenly ascent.
- יִנָּשְׂאוּ (yinnaseʾu) – Root: נשא; Form: Niphal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they were lifted up”; Notes: Refers here specifically to the wheels rising with the creatures.
- הָאֹופַנִּים (ha-ʾofannim) – Root: אופן; Form: Noun masculine plural with article; Translation: “the wheels”; Notes: The mysterious wheels of the vision, inseparably moving with the creatures.
- לְעֻמָּתָם (le-ummatam) – Root: עמת; Form: Preposition לְ + noun feminine singular construct + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “alongside them”; Notes: Marks parallel and synchronous motion.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: particle; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for / because”; Notes: Introduces explanatory clause.
- רוּחַ (ruaḥ) – Root: רוח; Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “spirit”; Notes: The vital, animating force guiding both the creatures and the wheels.
- הַחַיָּה (ha-ḥayyah) – Root: חיה; Form: Noun feminine singular with article; Translation: “the living creature”; Notes: Refers to the animate force or essence that directs the creatures’ motion.
- בָּאֹופַנִּים (ba-ʾofannim) – Root: אופן; Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine plural with article; Translation: “in the wheels”; Notes: Explains why the wheels followed the same movements: the spirit of the creature was within them.