וַיֹּֽאמְר֨וּ זִקְנֵ֣י הָעֵדָ֔ה מַה־נַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה לַנֹּותָרִ֖ים לְנָשִׁ֑ים כִּֽי־נִשְׁמְדָ֥ה מִבִּנְיָמִ֖ן אִשָּֽׁה׃
And the elders of the assembly said, “What shall we do for the survivors regarding wives, for women have been destroyed from Binyamin?”
Morphology
- וַיֹּֽאמְר֨וּ (vayyoʾmeru) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (preterite) 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “And they said”; Notes: A narrative form used to indicate past speech.
- זִקְנֵ֣י (ziqnei) – Root: זקן (zaqen); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “elders of”; Notes: Refers to the leaders or senior members of the assembly.
- הָעֵדָ֔ה (ha-ʿedah) – Root: עדה (ʿedah); Form: Noun, feminine singular with definite article; Translation: “the assembly”; Notes: Refers to the community or congregation of Yisraʾel.
- מַה־ (mah) – Root: מה (mah); Form: Interrogative pronoun; Translation: “What”; Notes: Used to introduce a question.
- נַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה (naʿaseh) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Qal imperfect 1st person plural; Translation: “shall we do”; Notes: Expresses a future action or intention.
- לַנֹּותָרִ֖ים (la-notarim) – Root: נותר (notar); Form: Participle, masculine plural with definite article; Translation: “for the survivors”; Notes: Refers to the remnant of Binyamin.
- לְנָשִׁ֑ים (le-nashim) – Root: אשה (ʾishah); Form: Noun, feminine plural; Translation: “regarding wives”; Notes: Refers to the lack of women for marriage.
- כִּֽי־ (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the reason.
- נִשְׁמְדָ֥ה (nishmedah) – Root: שמד (shamad); Form: Nifal perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “has been destroyed”; Notes: Indicates an action that has already occurred.
- מִבִּנְיָמִ֖ן (mi-Binyamin) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Preposition with proper noun; Translation: “from Binyamin”; Notes: Refers to the tribe of Binyamin.
- אִשָּֽׁה (ʾishah) – Root: אשה (ʾishah); Form: Noun, feminine singular; Translation: “woman”; Notes: Refers to the lack of women left in Binyamin.