וְה֤וּא יָצָא֙ וַעֲבָדָ֣יו בָּ֔אוּ וַיִּרְא֕וּ וְהִנֵּ֛ה דַּלְתֹ֥ות הָעֲלִיָּ֖ה נְעֻלֹ֑ות וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ אַ֣ךְ מֵסִ֥יךְ ה֛וּא אֶת־רַגְלָ֖יו בַּחֲדַ֥ר הַמְּקֵרָֽה׃
And he had gone out, and his servants came, and they saw, and behold, the doors of the upper chamber were locked. And they said, “Surely he is relieving himself in the cool chamber.”
Morphology
- וְה֤וּא (vehu) – Root: הוא (hu); Form: Pronoun, 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he”; Notes: Refers to Ehud.
- יָצָא֙ (yatsa) – Root: יצא (yatsa); Form: Qal perfect, 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “had gone out”; Notes: Describes Ehud’s departure.
- וַעֲבָדָ֣יו (vaʿavadav) – Root: עבד (ʿeved); Form: Noun, masculine plural with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “and his servants”; Notes: Refers to the attendants of the king.
- בָּ֔אוּ (baʾu) – Root: בוא (boʾ); Form: Qal perfect, 3rd person plural; Translation: “came”; Notes: The servants arriving.
- וַיִּרְא֕וּ (vayyirʾu) – Root: ראה (raʾah); Form: Qal wayyiqtol, 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they saw”; Notes: Their observation.
- וְהִנֵּ֛ה (vehineh) – Root: הנה (hineh); Form: Interjection; Translation: “and behold”; Notes: Introduces an important realization.
- דַּלְתֹ֥ות (daltot) – Root: דלת (delet); Form: Noun, feminine plural; Translation: “doors”; Notes: Refers to the entrance.
- הָעֲלִיָּ֖ה (haʿaliyah) – Root: עלה (ʿalah); Form: Noun, feminine singular definite; Translation: “the upper chamber”; Notes: Specifies the location.
- נְעֻלֹ֑ות (neʿulot) – Root: נעל (naʿal); Form: Qal passive participle, feminine plural; Translation: “were locked”; Notes: The state of the doors.
- וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ (vayomeru) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol, 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they said”; Notes: Their assumption.
- אַ֣ךְ (aḵ) – Root: אך (aḵ); Form: Adverb; Translation: “surely”; Notes: Indicates strong certainty.
- מֵסִ֥יךְ (mesikh) – Root: סוך (sukh?); Form: Participle, masculine singular; Translation: “relieving himself”; Notes: Euphemistic for bodily functions.
- ה֛וּא (hu) – Root: הוא (hu); Form: Pronoun, 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he”; Notes: Refers to King Eglon.
- אֶת־רַגְלָ֖יו (et-raglav) – Root: רגל (regel); Form: Noun, dual with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “his feet”; Notes: Euphemistic expression for relieving oneself.
- בַּחֲדַ֥ר (baḥadar) – Root: חדר (ḥeder); Form: Noun, masculine singular definite; Translation: “in the chamber”; Notes: Specifies location.
- הַמְּקֵרָֽה (hammekera) – Root: קיר (kir?); Form: Noun, feminine singular definite; Translation: “the cool chamber”; Notes: Likely refers to a well-ventilated area.