Judges 20:42

וַיִּפְנ֞וּ לִפְנֵ֨י אִ֤ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֶל־דֶּ֣רֶךְ הַמִּדְבָּ֔ר וְהַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה הִדְבִּיקָ֑תְהוּ וַאֲשֶׁר֙ מֵהֶ֣עָרִ֔ים מַשְׁחִיתִ֥ים אֹותֹ֖ו בְּתֹוכֹֽו׃

And they turned before the men of Yisraʾel toward the way of the wilderness, but the battle overtook them, and those who came from the cities were destroying them in the midst of it.

Morphology

1. וַיִּפְנ֞וּ (vayyifnu) – Root: פנה (panah); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “And they turned”; Notes: Indicates the retreat of the Binyaminites.
2. לִפְנֵ֨י (lifnei) – Root: פנה (panah); Form: Preposition with noun in construct; Translation: “before”; Notes: Indicates movement relative to the Israelites.
3. אִ֤ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ (ish Yisraʾel) – Root: איש (ish) + ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct with proper noun; Translation: “the men of Yisraʾel”; Notes: Refers to the Israelite warriors.
4. אֶל־דֶּ֣רֶךְ (el-derekh) – Root: דרך (derekh); Form: Noun, masculine singular with preposition; Translation: “toward the way”; Notes: Indicates direction of retreat.
5. הַמִּדְבָּ֔ר (ha-midbar) – Root: מדבר (midbar); Form: Noun, masculine singular definite; Translation: “the wilderness”; Notes: Specifies their intended escape route.
6. וְהַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה (ve-ha-milḥamah) – Root: לחם (laḥam); Form: Noun, feminine singular definite; Translation: “but the battle”; Notes: Refers to ongoing conflict.
7. הִדְבִּיקָ֑תְהוּ (hidbiqatʾhu) – Root: דבק (davaq); Form: Hifil perfect 3rd person feminine singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “overtook him”; Notes: Describes how the battle caught up with them.
8. וַאֲשֶׁר֙ (vaʾasher) – Root: -; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “and those who”; Notes: Introduces a subordinate clause.
9. מֵהֶ֣עָרִ֔ים (me-haʿarim) – Root: עיר (ʿir); Form: Noun, feminine plural with preposition; Translation: “from the cities”; Notes: Refers to additional attackers.
10. מַשְׁחִיתִ֥ים (mashḥitim) – Root: שחת (shaḥat); Form: Hifil participle masculine plural; Translation: “were destroying”; Notes: Describes their violent action.
11. אֹותֹ֖ו (oto) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Pronoun, 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers to the Binyaminites.
12. בְּתֹוכֹֽו׃ (be-toḵo) – Root: תוך (toḵ); Form: Noun, masculine singular with preposition; Translation: “in the midst of it”; Notes: Indicates complete encirclement.