וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יִפְתָּ֜ח אֶל־זִקְנֵ֣י גִלְעָ֗ד אִם־מְשִׁיבִ֨ים אַתֶּ֤ם אֹותִי֙ לְהִלָּחֵם֙ בִּבְנֵ֣י עַמֹּ֔ון וְנָתַ֧ן יְהוָ֛ה אֹותָ֖ם לְפָנָ֑י אָנֹכִ֕י אֶהְיֶ֥ה לָכֶ֖ם לְרֹֽאשׁ׃
And Yiftaḥ said to the elders of Gileʿad, “If you are bringing me back to fight against the sons of ʿAmmon, and YHWH gives them before me, I will be your head.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (preterite) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
- יִפְתָּ֜ח (Yiftaḥ) – Root: יפתח (Yiftaḥ); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yiftaḥ”; Notes: Personal name.
- אֶל־זִקְנֵ֣י (el-ziqnei) – Root: זקן (zaqen); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “to the elders of”; Notes: Indicates recipients of speech.
- גִלְעָ֗ד (Gilʿad) – Root: גלעד (Gilʿad); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Gilʿad”; Notes: Geographical region.
- אִם־מְשִׁיבִ֨ים (im-meshivim) – Root: שוב (shuv); Form: Hiphil participle masculine plural; Translation: “If you are bringing back”; Notes: Conditional clause.
- אַתֶּ֤ם (atem) – Root: אתם (atem); Form: Pronoun, 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you”; Notes: Subject of the condition.
- אֹותִי֙ (oti) – Root: את (ʾot); Form: Direct object marker with 1st person singular pronoun; Translation: “me”; Notes: Marks the object.
- לְהִלָּחֵם֙ (le-hillaḥem) – Root: לחם (laḥam); Form: Nifal infinitive construct; Translation: “to fight”; Notes: Purpose clause.
- בִּבְנֵ֣י (bi-vnei) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Construct noun phrase, masculine plural; Translation: “against the sons of”; Notes: Refers to the people of ʿAmmon.
- עַמֹּ֔ון (ʿAmmon) – Root: עמון (ʿAmmon); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “ʿAmmon”; Notes: Nation of ʿAmmon.
- וְנָתַ֧ן (ve-natan) – Root: נתן (natan); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and gives”; Notes: Refers to YHWH granting victory.
- יְהוָ֛ה (YHWH) – Root: יהוה (YHWH); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The Tetragrammaton.
- אֹותָ֖ם (otam) – Root: את (ʾot); Form: Direct object marker with 3rd person masculine plural pronoun; Translation: “them”; Notes: Refers to the sons of ʿAmmon.
- לְפָנָ֑י (le-fanai) – Root: פנים (panim); Form: Noun, masculine plural with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “before me”; Notes: Expresses subjugation.
- אָנֹכִ֕י (anokhi) – Root: אנכי (anokhi); Form: Pronoun, 1st person singular; Translation: “I”; Notes: Subject pronoun.
- אֶהְיֶ֥ה (ehyeh) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal imperfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I will be”; Notes: Expresses a future state.
- לָכֶ֖ם (lakhem) – Root: ל (le) + אתם (atem); Form: Preposition with 2nd person masculine plural pronoun; Translation: “for you”; Notes: Expresses benefit.
- לְרֹֽאשׁ׃ (le-rosh) – Root: ראש (rosh); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “a head”; Notes: Denotes leadership position.