בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֔ם אֵ֥ין מֶ֖לֶךְ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אִ֛ישׁ הַיָּשָׁ֥ר בְּעֵינָ֖יו יַעֲשֶֽׂה׃ פ
In those days, there was no king in Yisraʾel; each man did what was right in his own eyes.
Morphology
- בַּיָּמִ֣ים (bayyamim) – Root: יום (yom); Form: Noun, masculine plural with preposition; Translation: “In the days”; Notes: Refers to a specific time period.
- הָהֵ֔ם (hahem) – Root: הוא (hu); Form: Demonstrative pronoun, masculine plural; Translation: “those”; Notes: Specifies which days are being referred to.
- אֵ֥ין (ʾein) – Root: אין (ʾein); Form: Negative existential particle; Translation: “there was no”; Notes: Denotes the absence of something.
- מֶ֖לֶךְ (melekh) – Root: מלך (melekh); Form: Noun, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “king”; Notes: Refers to the lack of a ruling authority.
- בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל (be-Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Proper noun with preposition; Translation: “in Yisraʾel”; Notes: Indicates where the absence of a king was.
- אִ֛ישׁ (ʾish) – Root: איש (ʾish); Form: Noun, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “each man”; Notes: Refers to individuals in society.
- הַיָּשָׁ֥ר (hayashar) – Root: ישר (yashar); Form: Adjective, masculine singular absolute with definite article; Translation: “what was right”; Notes: Describes subjective morality.
- בְּעֵינָ֖יו (be-ʿeinav) – Root: עין (ʿayin); Form: Noun, feminine dual construct with 3rd person masculine singular suffix and preposition; Translation: “in his own eyes”; Notes: Indicates personal judgment.
- יַעֲשֶֽׂה׃ (yaʿaseh) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he did”; Notes: Expresses an ongoing or habitual action.