וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֶלְיָקִים֩ וְשֶׁבְנָ֨א וְיֹואָ֜ח אֶל־רַב־שָׁקֵ֗ה דַּבֶּר־נָ֤א אֶל־עֲבָדֶ֨יךָ֙ אֲרָמִ֔ית כִּ֥י שֹׁמְעִ֖ים אֲנָ֑חְנוּ וְאַל־תְּדַבֵּ֤ר אֵלֵ֨ינוּ֙ יְהוּדִ֔ית בְּאָזְנֵ֣י הָעָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־הַחֹומָֽה׃
And Elyaqim and Shevna and Yoʾaḥ said to Rav-shaqe, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it; and do not speak with us in Yehudit in the ears of the people who are on the wall.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And [he/they] said”; Notes: Collective subject implied in the verb.
- אֶלְיָקִים (Elyaqim) – Root: Proper name; Form: Proper noun masculine singular; Translation: “Elyaqim”; Notes: One of the officials sent by Ḥizqiyyahu.
- וְשֶׁבְנָא (ve-Shevna) – Root: Proper name; Form: Conjunction + proper noun; Translation: “and Shevna”; Notes: Court scribe.
- וְיֹואָח (ve-Yoʾaḥ) – Root: Proper name; Form: Conjunction + proper noun; Translation: “and Yoʾaḥ”; Notes: Recorder, another royal official.
- אֶל־רַב־שָׁקֵה (el-Rav-shaqeh) – Root: רב + שק; Form: Preposition + title; Translation: “to Rav-shaqeh”; Notes: The Assyrian chief official and spokesman.
- דַּבֶּר־נָא (dabber-na) – Root: דבר; Form: Piel imperative 2nd person masculine singular + enclitic particle; Translation: “Please speak”; Notes: Polite request form in intensified stem.
- אֶל־עֲבָדֶיךָ (el-ʿavadekha) – Root: עבד; Form: Preposition + plural noun + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to your servants”; Notes: A deferential self-reference by the officials.
- אֲרָמִית (Aramit) – Root: ארם; Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “Aramaic”; Notes: The diplomatic and regional lingua franca.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: Conjunction; Form: Independent; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces reason or explanation.
- שֹׁמְעִים (shomʿim) – Root: שׁמע; Form: Qal participle masculine plural; Translation: “we understand”; Notes: Refers to comprehension, not just hearing.
- אֲנָחְנוּ (anaḥnu) – Root: Pronoun; Form: Independent pronoun; Translation: “we”; Notes: Explicit subject for emphasis.
- וְאַל־תְּדַבֵּר (veʾal-tedabber) – Root: דבר; Form: Conjunction + Piel jussive 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “and do not speak”; Notes: Negative command or request.
- אֵלֵינוּ (eleinu) – Root: אל; Form: Preposition + 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “to us”; Notes: Object of the speech action.
- יְהוּדִית (Yehudit) – Root: יהודה; Form: Adjective used as noun; Translation: “in Yehudit”; Notes: Refers to the Hebrew dialect of Yehudah.
- בְּאָזְנֵי (be-oznei) – Root: אזן; Form: Preposition + dual noun construct; Translation: “in the ears of”; Notes: Idiomatic for “in the hearing of.”
- הָעָם (ha-ʿam) – Root: עם; Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the people”; Notes: Refers to the citizens or soldiers on the wall.
- אֲשֶׁר (asher) – Root: Relative pronoun; Form: Independent; Translation: “who”; Notes: Introduces a relative clause modifying “people.”
- עַל־הַחֹומָה (ʿal-ha-ḥomah) – Root: חמה; Form: Preposition + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “on the wall”; Notes: Strategic location—defenders listening in.