וַיֵּצְא֤וּ בְנֵֽי־בִנְיָמִן֙ לִקְרַ֣את הָעָ֔ם הָנְתְּק֖וּ מִן־הָעִ֑יר וַיָּחֵ֡לּוּ לְהַכֹּות֩ מֵהָעָ֨ם חֲלָלִ֜ים כְּפַ֣עַם בְּפַ֗עַם בַּֽמְסִלֹּות֙ אֲשֶׁ֨ר אַחַ֜ת עֹלָ֣ה בֵֽית־אֵ֗ל וְאַחַ֤ת גִּבְעָ֨תָה֙ בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה כִּשְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים אִ֖ישׁ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
And the sons of Binyamin went out to meet the people, and they were drawn away from the city, and they began to strike down from among the people slain, as time after time, on the highways, one of which goes up to Beit-El, and one to Givʿah in the field, about thirty men of Yisraʾel.
Morphology
- וַיֵּצְא֤וּ (vayyetzeʾu) – Root: יצא (yatzaʾ); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (sequential imperfect) 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “And they went out”; Notes: Indicates action of the Binyaminites advancing.
- בְנֵֽי־בִנְיָמִן֙ (bene-Binyamin) – Root: בן (ben) + בנימין (Binyamin); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “the sons of Binyamin”; Notes: Subject of the action.
- לִקְרַ֣את (liqrat) – Root: קרה (qaraʾ); Form: Preposition with infinitive construct; Translation: “to meet”; Notes: Indicates an offensive action.
- הָעָ֔ם (haʿam) – Root: עם (ʿam); Form: Noun, masculine singular definite; Translation: “the people”; Notes: Refers to the Israelite force.
- הָנְתְּק֖וּ (honnitqu) – Root: נתק (nataq); Form: Nifal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they were drawn away”; Notes: Suggests a tactical maneuver.
- מִן־הָעִ֑יר (min-haʿir) – Root: עיר (ʿir); Form: Noun, feminine singular definite with preposition; Translation: “from the city”; Notes: The origin point of the movement.
- וַיָּחֵ֡לּוּ (vayyakhelu) – Root: חלל (ḥalal); Form: Hifil wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they began”; Notes: Marks initiation of an action.
- לְהַכֹּות֩ (le-hakkot) – Root: נכה (nakah); Form: Hifil infinitive construct; Translation: “to strike down”; Notes: Describes the attacking action.
- מֵהָעָ֨ם (me-haʿam) – Root: עם (ʿam); Form: Noun, masculine singular definite with preposition; Translation: “from among the people”; Notes: Specifies the victims.
- חֲלָלִ֜ים (ḥalalim) – Root: חלל (ḥalal); Form: Noun, masculine plural; Translation: “slain”; Notes: Indicates casualties.
- כְּפַ֣עַם בְּפַ֗עַם (ke-faʿam be-faʿam) – Root: פעם (paʿam); Form: Noun, feminine singular construct repeated; Translation: “as time after time”; Notes: Suggests a repeated pattern.
- בַּֽמְסִלֹּות֙ (ba-mesillot) – Root: מסלה (mesillah); Form: Noun, feminine plural definite; Translation: “on the highways”; Notes: Indicates location of the battle.
- אֲשֶׁ֨ר (asher) – Root: אשר (asher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “which”; Notes: Introduces the description of the roads.
- אַחַ֜ת (aḥat) – Root: אחד (ʾaḥad); Form: Noun, feminine singular; Translation: “one”; Notes: Specifies a road.
- עֹלָ֣ה (olah) – Root: עלה (ʿalah); Form: Qal participle feminine singular; Translation: “going up”; Notes: Describes the path.
- בֵֽית־אֵ֗ל (Beit-El) – Root: בית (bayit) + אל (ʾEl); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Beit-El”; Notes: Destination of one road.
- וְאַחַ֤ת (ve-aḥat) – Root: אחד (ʾaḥad); Form: Noun, feminine singular; Translation: “and one”; Notes: Refers to the second road.
- גִּבְעָ֨תָה֙ (Givʿatah) – Root: גבע (givʿah); Form: Proper noun, feminine singular; Translation: “to Givʿah”; Notes: The other destination.
- בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה (ba-sadeh) – Root: שדה (sadeh); Form: Noun, masculine singular definite; Translation: “in the field”; Notes: Describes its location.
- כִּשְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים אִ֖ישׁ (kishloshim ish) – Root: שלש (shalosh) + איש (ish); Form: Cardinal number with noun; Translation: “about thirty men”; Notes: Quantifies the slain.
- בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (be-Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular with preposition; Translation: “in Yisraʾel”; Notes: Indicates that the casualties were among the Israelites.