וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֵלָ֤יו גִּדְעֹון֙ בִּ֣י אֲדֹנִ֔י וְיֵ֤שׁ יְהוָה֙ עִמָּ֔נוּ וְלָ֥מָּה מְצָאַ֖תְנוּ כָּל־זֹ֑את וְאַיֵּ֣ה כָֽל־נִפְלְאֹתָ֡יו אֲשֶׁר֩ סִפְּרוּ־לָ֨נוּ אֲבֹותֵ֜ינוּ לֵאמֹ֗ר הֲלֹ֤א מִמִּצְרַ֨יִם֙ הֶעֱלָ֣נוּ יְהוָ֔ה וְעַתָּה֙ נְטָשָׁ֣נוּ יְהוָ֔ה וַֽיִּתְּנֵ֖נוּ בְּכַף־מִדְיָֽן׃
And Gideʿon said to him, “Oh my lord, if YHWH is with us, then why has all this happened to us? And where are all His wonders which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not YHWH bring us up from Mitsrayim?’ But now YHWH has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midyan.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Introduces Gidʿon’s response.
- אֵלָ֤יו (elav) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers to the angel.
- גִּדְעֹון֙ (Gidʿon) – Root: גדעון (Gidʿon); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Gidʿon”; Notes: The speaker.
- בִּ֣י (bi) – Root: בי (bi); Form: Interjection; Translation: “Oh”; Notes: An expression of emotion.
- אֲדֹנִ֔י (ʾadoni) – Root: אדן (ʾadon); Form: Noun, masculine singular with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “my lord”; Notes: A respectful address.
- וְיֵ֤שׁ (ve-yesh) – Root: יש (yesh); Form: Particle of existence; Translation: “if there is”; Notes: Introduces a conditional statement.
- יְהוָה֙ (YHWH) – Root: יהוה (YHWH); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Refers to the divine presence.
- עִמָּ֔נוּ (ʿimmanu) – Root: עם (ʿim); Form: Preposition with 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “with us”; Notes: Expresses the assumed divine presence.
- וְלָ֥מָּה (ve-lammah) – Root: למה (lammah); Form: Interrogative; Translation: “then why”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical question.
- מְצָאַ֖תְנוּ (metsaʾatnu) – Root: מצא (matsaʾ); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular with 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “has happened to us”; Notes: Describes the suffering.
- כָּל־זֹ֑את (kol-zot) – Root: כל (kol) + זאת (zot); Form: Noun, feminine singular; Translation: “all this”; Notes: Refers to the hardships.
- וְאַיֵּ֣ה (ve-ʾayyeh) – Root: איה (ʾayyeh); Form: Interrogative; Translation: “and where”; Notes: Questions the absence of miracles.
- כָֽל־נִפְלְאֹתָ֡יו (kol-nifleʾotav) – Root: פלא (palaʾ); Form: Noun, feminine plural construct with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “all His wonders”; Notes: Refers to past miracles.
- אֲשֶׁר֩ (ʾasher) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “which”; Notes: Introduces the description.
- סִפְּרוּ־לָ֨נוּ (siperu-lanu) – Root: ספר (safar); Form: Piel perfect 3rd person masculine plural with 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “our fathers told us”; Notes: Indicates oral tradition.
- אֲבֹותֵ֜ינוּ (avoteinu) – Root: אב (ʾav); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct with 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “our fathers”; Notes: Refers to the ancestors.
- לֵאמֹ֗ר (lemor) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Infinitive construct; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces the direct quote.
- הֲלֹ֤א (halo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Interrogative particle; Translation: “Did not”; Notes: Expresses expectation.
- מִמִּצְרַ֨יִם֙ (mi-Mitsrayim) – Root: מצרים (Mitsrayim); Form: Proper noun with preposition; Translation: “from Mitsrayim”; Notes: Refers to the exodus.
- הֶעֱלָ֣נוּ (heʿelanu) – Root: עלה (ʿalah); Form: Hifil perfect 3rd person masculine singular with 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “brought us up”; Notes: Describes divine intervention.
- וְעַתָּה֙ (ve-ʿattah) – Root: עתה (ʿattah); Form: Adverb; Translation: “But now”; Notes: Contrasts past and present.
- נְטָשָׁ֣נוּ (netashanu) – Root: נטש (natash); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular with 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “has abandoned us”; Notes: Expresses despair.
- וַֽיִּתְּנֵ֖נוּ (va-yittenenu) – Root: נתן (natan); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular with 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “and has given us”; Notes: Expresses divine judgment.
- בְּכַף־מִדְיָֽן׃ (be-kaf Midyan) – Root: כף (kaf) + מדין (Midyan); Form: Noun, feminine singular construct with proper noun; Translation: “into the hand of Midyan”; Notes: Expresses subjugation under the Midyanites.