בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֡וא שָׁלַ֡ח מְרֹדַ֣ךְ בַּ֠לְאֲדָן בֶּֽן־בַּלְאֲדָ֧ן מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֛ל סְפָרִ֥ים וּמִנְחָ֖ה אֶל־חִזְקִיָּ֑הוּ וַיִּשְׁמַ֕ע כִּ֥י חָלָ֖ה וַֽיֶּחֱזָֽק׃
At that time Merodakh Balʾadan son of Balʾadan, king of Bavel, sent letters and a gift to Ḥizqiyyahu, for he had heard that he had been sick and had recovered.
Morphology
- בָּעֵ֣ת (baʿet) – Root: עת (ʿet); Form: Noun, feminine singular with preposition בְּ; Translation: “at the time”; Notes: Temporal prepositional phrase introducing the event.
- הַהִ֡וא (ha-hiʾ) – Root: הוא (huʾ); Form: Definite article + demonstrative pronoun, feminine singular; Translation: “that”; Notes: Modifies עֵת.
- שָׁלַ֡ח (shalaḥ) – Root: שלח (shalaḥ); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “sent”; Notes: Main verb of the clause.
- מְרֹדַ֣ךְ (Merodakh) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Proper name; Translation: “Merodakh”; Notes: First element of the compound name Merodakh-Balʾadan.
- בַּ֠לְאֲדָן (Balʾadan) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Proper name; Translation: “Balʾadan”; Notes: Second element of the compound name.
- בֶּֽן־בַּלְאֲדָ֧ן (ben-Balʾadan) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Noun construct, masculine singular; Translation: “son of Balʾadan”; Notes: Establishes genealogy.
- מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֛ל (melekh-Bavel) – Root: מלך (melekh); Form: Noun construct, masculine singular + proper noun; Translation: “king of Bavel”; Notes: Bavel is the Hebrew name for Babylon.
- סְפָרִ֥ים (sefarim) – Root: ספר (sefer); Form: Noun, masculine plural; Translation: “letters”; Notes: Refers to written documents.
- וּמִנְחָ֖ה (u-minḥah) – Root: מנח (minḥah); Form: Conjunction + noun, feminine singular; Translation: “and a gift”; Notes: Often a diplomatic or votive offering.
- אֶל־חִזְקִיָּ֑הוּ (el-Ḥizqiyyahu) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “to Ḥizqiyyahu”; Notes: Recipient of the letters and gift.
- וַיִּשְׁמַ֕ע (va-yishmaʿ) – Root: שמע (shamaʿ); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he heard”; Notes: Introduces the cause of the action.
- כִּ֥י (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “that”; Notes: Introduces indirect speech or explanation.
- חָלָ֖ה (ḥalah) – Root: חלה (ḥalah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “was sick”; Notes: Refers to Ḥizqiyyahu’s illness.
- וַֽיֶּחֱזָֽק (va-yeḥezaq) – Root: חזק (ḥazaq); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he recovered”; Notes: Concludes the causal statement.