וַיֹּאמֶר֩ מֶ֨לֶךְ בְּנֵי־עַמֹּ֜ון אֶל־מַלְאֲכֵ֣י יִפְתָּ֗ח כִּֽי־לָקַ֨ח יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל אֶת־אַרְצִי֙ בַּעֲלֹותֹ֣ו מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם מֵאַרְנֹ֥ון וְעַד־הַיַּבֹּ֖ק וְעַד־הַיַּרְדֵּ֑ן וְעַתָּ֕ה הָשִׁ֥יבָה אֶתְהֶ֖ן בְּשָׁלֹֽום׃
And the king of the sons of ʿAmmon said to the messengers of Yiftaḥ, “Because Yisraʾel took my land when he came up from Mitsrayim, from the Arnon as far as the Yabboq and as far as the Yarden, now therefore, return them in peace.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּאמֶר֩ (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (preterite) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
- מֶ֨לֶךְ בְּנֵי־עַמֹּ֜ון (melekh bene-ʿAmmon) – Root: מלך (melekh) + בן (ben) + עמון (ʿAmmon); Form: Construct noun phrase, masculine singular; Translation: “the king of the sons of ʿAmmon”; Notes: Refers to the ruler of ʿAmmon.
- אֶל־מַלְאֲכֵ֣י (el-malʾakhei) – Root: מלאך (malʾakh); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “to the messengers of”; Notes: Indicates recipients.
- יִפְתָּ֗ח (Yiftaḥ) – Root: יפתח (Yiftaḥ); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yiftaḥ”; Notes: Name of the recipient.
- כִּֽי־לָקַ֨ח (ki-laqaḥ) – Root: לקח (laqaḥ); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “Because he took”; Notes: Explains the accusation.
- יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל (Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Subject of the action.
- אֶת־אַרְצִי֙ (et-artzi) – Root: ארץ (erets); Form: Noun, feminine singular with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “my land”; Notes: Possessive form.
- בַּעֲלֹותֹ֣ו (baʿaloto) – Root: עלה (ʿalah); Form: Qal infinitive construct with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “when he came up”; Notes: Expresses the time of the action.
- מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם (mi-Mitsrayim) – Root: מצרים (Mitsrayim); Form: Proper noun with prepositional prefix; Translation: “from Mitsrayim”; Notes: Refers to Egypt.
- מֵאַרְנֹ֥ון (me-Arnon) – Root: ארנון (Arnon); Form: Proper noun with prepositional prefix; Translation: “from the Arnon”; Notes: Refers to a river.
- וְעַד־הַיַּבֹּ֖ק (ve-ʿad ha-Yabboq) – Root: יבק (Yabboq); Form: Proper noun with preposition; Translation: “and as far as the Yabboq”; Notes: Another river.
- וְעַד־הַיַּרְדֵּ֑ן (ve-ʿad ha-Yarden) – Root: ירדן (Yarden); Form: Proper noun with preposition; Translation: “and as far as the Yarden”; Notes: Refers to the Jordan River.
- וְעַתָּ֕ה (ve-ʿattah) – Root: עתה (ʿattah); Form: Adverb; Translation: “now”; Notes: Introduces a call to action.
- הָשִׁ֥יבָה (hashivah) – Root: שוב (shuv); Form: Hiphil imperative 2nd person masculine singular with paragogic ה; Translation: “return”; Notes: Command form.
- אֶתְהֶ֖ן (ethen) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Direct object marker with 3rd person feminine plural pronoun; Translation: “them”; Notes: Refers to the disputed lands.
- בְּשָׁלֹֽום׃ (be-shalom) – Root: שלום (shalom); Form: Noun, masculine singular with prepositional prefix; Translation: “in peace”; Notes: Expresses a peaceful resolution.