Genesis 26:19

וַיַּחְפְּר֥וּ עַבְדֵֽי־יִצְחָ֖ק בַּנָּ֑חַל וַיִּ֨מְצְאוּ־שָׁ֔ם בְּאֵ֖ר מַ֥יִם חַיִּֽים׃

And Yitsḥaq’s servants dug in the valley and found there a well of living water.

Morphology

1. וַיַּחְפְּר֥וּ (Va-yaḥ-pə-ru) – Root: חפר (ḥ-p-r); Form: Wayyiqtol (preterite), 3mp; Translation: “And they dug”; Notes: Indicates the action of digging performed by Yitsḥaq’s servants.
2. עַבְדֵֽי־ (Av-dei) – Root: עבד (ʿ-v-d); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “Servants of”; Notes: Indicates possession, linked to “Yitsḥaq.”
3. יִצְחָ֖ק (Yitsḥaq) – Root: צחק (ṣ-ḥ-q); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yitsḥaq”; Notes: Refers to the patriarch Isaac.
4. בַּנָּ֑חַל (Ba-naḥal) – Root: נחל (n-ḥ-l); Form: Preposition + noun, masculine singular definite; Translation: “In the valley”; Notes: Refers to a specific valley where they dug.
5. וַיִּ֨מְצְאוּ־ (Va-yim-tzə-u) – Root: מצא (m-ṣ-ʾ); Form: Wayyiqtol (preterite), 3mp; Translation: “And they found”; Notes: Denotes the result of their digging.
6. שָׁ֔ם (Sham) – Root: שם (sh-m); Form: Adverb; Translation: “There”; Notes: Indicates the location of the discovery.
7. בְּאֵ֖ר (Be-er) – Root: באר (b-ʾ-r); Form: Noun, feminine singular; Translation: “A well”; Notes: The object of their discovery.
8. מַ֥יִם (Mayim) – Root: מים (m-y-m); Form: Noun, masculine plural; Translation: “Water”; Notes: Refers to the substance within the well.
9. חַיִּֽים (Ḥayyim) – Root: חיה (ḥ-y-h); Form: Adjective, masculine plural; Translation: “Living”; Notes: Denotes fresh, flowing water, as opposed to stagnant.

Morphological Analysis 

1. וַיַּחְפְּר֥וּ (vayyaḥpərū) – Root: חפר, Form: Wayyiqtol (3mp, sequential past tense), Translation: “and they dug”

Contextual notes: Indicates the initiation of a significant action in the narrative.

2. עַבְדֵֽי־ (‘avdē) – Root: עבד, Form: Noun (plural construct), Translation: “servants of”

Parsing details: Masculine plural, construct state.

3. יִצְחָ֖ק (yiṣḥāq) – Root: צחק, Form: Proper noun, Translation: “Isaac”

4. בַּנָּ֑חַל (bannāḥal) – Root: נחל, Form: Noun with prefix בְּ (in) and definite article, Translation: “in the valley”

Parsing details: Masculine singular, definite.

5. וַיִּ֨מְצְאוּ־ (vayyimṣə’ū) – Root: מצא, Form: Wayyiqtol (3mp, sequential past tense), Translation: “and they found”

6. שָׁ֔ם (šām) – Root: שם, Form: Adverb, Translation: “there”

7. בְּאֵ֖ר (bəʾēr) – Root: באר, Form: Noun, Translation: “a well”

Parsing details: Feminine singular.

8. מַ֥יִם (mayim) – Root: מים, Form: Noun, Translation: “water”

Parsing details: Masculine plural (treated as singular in meaning).

9. חַיִּֽים (ḥayyīm) – Root: חיה, Form: Adjective (plural), Translation: “living”

Usage notes: Implies fresh, flowing water, not stagnant.