וְהַמַּשְׂאֵ֗ת הֵחֵ֛לָּה לַעֲלֹ֥ות מִן־הָעִ֖יר עַמּ֣וּד עָשָׁ֑ן וַיִּ֤פֶן בִּנְיָמִן֙ אַחֲרָ֔יו וְהִנֵּ֛ה עָלָ֥ה כְלִיל־הָעִ֖יר הַשָּׁמָֽיְמָה׃
And the signal began to rise from the city—a pillar of smoke—and Binyamin turned behind him, and behold, the whole of the city had gone up toward the heavens.
Morphology
- וְהַמַּשְׂאֵ֗ת (ve-ha-masʾet) – Root: נשא (nasaʾ); Form: Noun, feminine singular definite; Translation: “And the signal”; Notes: Refers to the rising smoke as a sign.
- הֵחֵ֛לָּה (heḥellah) – Root: חלל (ḥalal); Form: Hifil perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “began”; Notes: Indicates the initiation of the event.
- לַעֲלֹ֥ות (laʿalot) – Root: עלה (ʿalah); Form: Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “to rise”; Notes: Describes the action of the smoke ascending.
- מִן־הָעִ֖יר (min-haʿir) – Root: עיר (ʿir); Form: Noun, feminine singular definite with preposition; Translation: “from the city”; Notes: Specifies the origin of the smoke.
- עַמּ֣וּד (ʿammud) – Root: עמד (ʿamad); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “a pillar”; Notes: Describes the shape of the smoke.
- עָשָׁ֑ן (ʿashan) – Root: עשן (ʿashan); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “smoke”; Notes: Specifies the type of signal.
- וַיִּ֤פֶן (vayyifen) – Root: פנה (panah); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he turned”; Notes: Refers to Binyamin’s reaction.
- בִּנְיָמִן֙ (Binyamin) – Root: בנימין (Binyamin); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Binyamin”; Notes: The subject of the verb.
- אַחֲרָ֔יו (aḥarav) – Root: אחר (aḥar); Form: Adverb with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “behind him”; Notes: Indicates the direction of his turning.
- וְהִנֵּ֛ה (ve-hinneh) – Root: -; Form: Interjection; Translation: “and behold”; Notes: Introduces a sudden realization.
- עָלָ֥ה (ʿalah) – Root: עלה (ʿalah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “had gone up”; Notes: Refers to the smoke rising.
- כְלִיל־הָעִ֖יר (kelil-haʿir) – Root: כלל (kalal) + עיר (ʿir); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct; Translation: “the whole of the city”; Notes: Describes the city’s destruction.
- הַשָּׁמָֽיְמָה׃ (ha-shamaymah) – Root: שמים (shamayim); Form: Noun, masculine plural with directional suffix; Translation: “toward the heavens”; Notes: Indicates the rising smoke ascending high.