וַיֹּאמְר֥וּ זִקְנֵֽי־גִלְעָ֖ד אֶל־יִפְתָּ֑ח יְהוָ֗ה יִהְיֶ֤ה שֹׁמֵ֨עַ֙ בֵּֽינֹותֵ֔ינוּ אִם־לֹ֥א כִדְבָרְךָ֖ כֵּ֥ן נַעֲשֶֽׂה׃
And the elders of Gileʿad said to Yiftaḥ, “YHWH shall be a witness between us, if we do not do according to your word.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּאמְר֥וּ (va-yomru) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (preterite) 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “And they said”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
- זִקְנֵֽי־גִלְעָ֖ד (ziqnei-Gilʿad) – Root: זקן (zaqen) + גלעד (Gilʿad); Form: Construct noun phrase, masculine plural; Translation: “the elders of Gilʿad”; Notes: Refers to the leadership group.
- אֶל־יִפְתָּ֑ח (el-Yiftaḥ) – Root: אל (ʾel) + יפתח (Yiftaḥ); Form: Preposition with proper noun; Translation: “to Yiftaḥ”; Notes: Marks the recipient of speech.
- יְהוָ֗ה (YHWH) – Root: יהוה (YHWH); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The divine name.
- יִהְיֶ֤ה (yihyeh) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “shall be”; Notes: Expresses a future state.
- שֹׁמֵ֨עַ֙ (shomeaʿ) – Root: שמע (shamaʿ); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “a witness”; Notes: Functions as a noun, referring to YHWH as a listener or judge.
- בֵּֽינֹותֵ֔ינוּ (beinotenu) – Root: בין (bein); Form: Noun, plural construct with 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “between us”; Notes: Indicates mediation.
- אִם־לֹ֥א (im-lo) – Root: אם (im) + לא (lo); Form: Conditional particle with negative; Translation: “if not”; Notes: Introduces a conditional clause.
- כִדְבָרְךָ֖ (ki-dvarekha) – Root: דבר (davar); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “according to your word”; Notes: Indicates agreement.
- כֵּ֥ן (ken) – Root: כן (ken); Form: Adverb; Translation: “thus”; Notes: Expresses affirmation.
- נַעֲשֶֽׂה׃ (naʿaseh) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Qal imperfect 1st person plural; Translation: “we will do”; Notes: Commitment to an action.