עָֽבְרוּ֙ מַעְבָּרָ֔ה גֶּ֖בַע מָלֹ֣ון לָ֑נוּ חָֽרְדָה֙ הָֽרָמָ֔ה גִּבְעַ֥ת שָׁא֖וּל נָֽסָה׃
They have crossed the pass; Geva is a lodging place for us. Rama trembles, Giveʿat Shaʾul has fled.
Morphology
- עָֽבְרוּ (ʿavru) – Root: עבר (ʿavar); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they have crossed”; Notes: Describes the military advance of the enemy.
- מַעְבָּרָה (maʿbarah) – Root: עבר (ʿavar); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “pass / crossing”; Notes: Likely a mountain pass or strategic crossing point.
- גֶּבַע (Geva) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Proper name feminine singular; Translation: “Geva”; Notes: Town in Binyamin, north of Yerushalayim.
- מָלֹון (malon) – Root: לון (lun); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “lodging”; Notes: Can denote a place to rest, here a staging point for the enemy.
- לָנוּ (lanu) – Root: ל; Form: Preposition + 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “for us”; Notes: Possibly mocking or ironic in tone—spoken from the enemy’s perspective.
- חָרְדָה (ḥardah) – Root: חרד (ḥarad); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “trembling”; Notes: Describes the fear gripping the city of Ramah.
- הָרָמָה (ha-Ramah) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Proper name with definite article; Translation: “Ramah”; Notes: Town in Binyamin, associated with the prophet Shemuʾel.
- גִּבְעַת שָׁאוּל (Givʿat Shaʾul) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Construct phrase: “hill of Shaʾul”; Translation: “Givʿat Shaʾul”; Notes: Likely the hometown of King Shaʾul.
- נָסָה (nasah) – Root: נוס (nus); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “has fled”; Notes: Feminine form agrees with the subject “Givʿat Shaʾul.”