וַיְהִי֙ בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֔ם וּמֶ֖לֶךְ אֵ֣ין בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיְהִ֣י אִ֣ישׁ לֵוִ֗י גָּ֚ר בְּיַרְכְּתֵ֣י הַר־אֶפְרַ֔יִם וַיִּֽקַּֽח־לֹו֙ אִשָּׁ֣ה פִילֶ֔גֶשׁ מִבֵּ֥ית לֶ֖חֶם יְהוּדָֽה׃
And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Yisraʾel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning in the remote parts of the hill country of Efrayim, and he took for himself a concubine from Beit-leḥem in Yehuda.
Morphology
- וַיְהִי֙ (vayehi) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And it came to pass”; Notes: Introduces a narrative event.
- בַּיָּמִ֣ים (bayamim) – Root: יום (yom); Form: Noun, masculine plural, definite; Translation: “in the days”; Notes: Indicates a historical time period.
- הָהֵ֔ם (hahem) – Root: הוא (hu); Form: Demonstrative pronoun, masculine plural; Translation: “those”; Notes: Refers to a specific past period.
- וּמֶ֖לֶךְ (umelekh) – Root: מלך (melek); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “and a king”; Notes: Subject of the clause.
- אֵ֣ין (ein) – Root: אין (ein); Form: Negative existential particle; Translation: “there was no”; Notes: Expresses nonexistence.
- בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל (be-Yisra’el) – Root: ישראל (Yisra’el); Form: Proper noun with preposition; Translation: “in Yisra’el”; Notes: Indicates the location.
- וַיְהִ֣י (vayehi) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and there was”; Notes: Introduces a new subject.
- אִ֣ישׁ (ish) – Root: איש (ish); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “a man”; Notes: Refers to an unidentified individual.
- לֵוִ֗י (Levi) – Root: לוי (Levi); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “a Levite”; Notes: Identifies the man as a Levite.
- גָּ֚ר (gar) – Root: גור (gur); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “sojourning”; Notes: Indicates temporary residence.
- בְּיַרְכְּתֵ֣י (beyarketei) – Root: ירכה (yarkah); Form: Noun, feminine plural construct; Translation: “in the remote parts of”; Notes: Describes the location.
- הַר־אֶפְרַ֔יִם (har-Efrayim) – Root: הר, אפרים (har, Efrayim); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct + proper noun; Translation: “the hill country of Efrayim”; Notes: Specifies the geographic region.
- וַיִּֽקַּֽח־לֹו֙ (vayyiqaḥ-lo) – Root: לקח (laqach); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular + pronominal suffix; Translation: “and he took for himself”; Notes: Indicates personal action.
- אִשָּׁ֣ה (ishah) – Root: אשה (ishah); Form: Noun, feminine singular; Translation: “a woman”; Notes: Refers to a female partner.
- פִילֶ֔גֶשׁ (pilegesh) – Root: פילגש (pilegesh); Form: Noun, feminine singular; Translation: “a concubine”; Notes: Indicates a secondary wife.
- מִבֵּ֥ית לֶ֖חֶם (mi-Beit-Leḥem) – Root: בית לחם (Beit-Leḥem); Form: Proper noun with preposition; Translation: “from Beit-Leḥem”; Notes: Indicates place of origin.
- יְהוּדָֽה (Yehudah) – Root: יהודה (Yehudah); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yehudah”; Notes: Specifies the tribal region.