וַיְהִי֮ בַּלַּ֣יְלָה הַהוּא֒ וַיֹּ֧אמֶר לֹ֣ו יְהוָ֗ה קַ֤ח אֶת־פַּר־הַשֹּׁור֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לְאָבִ֔יךָ וּפַ֥ר הַשֵּׁנִ֖י שֶׁ֣בַע שָׁנִ֑ים וְהָרַסְתָּ֗ אֶת־מִזְבַּ֤ח הַבַּ֨עַל֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לְאָבִ֔יךָ וְאֶת־הָאֲשֵׁרָ֥ה אֲשֶׁר־עָלָ֖יו תִּכְרֹֽת׃
And it came to pass on that night that YHWH said to him, “Take the bull of your father, even the second bull of seven years, and tear down the altar of the Baʿal that belongs to your father, and cut down the Ashera that is upon it.
Morphology
- וַיְהִי֮ (va-yehi) – Root: היה (haya); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “And it came to pass”; Notes: Introduces a new event.
- בַּלַּ֣יְלָה (ba-laylah) – Root: לילה (laylah); Form: Noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “in the night”; Notes: Specifies the time.
- הַהוּא֒ (ha-hu) – Root: הוא (hu); Form: Demonstrative pronoun, masculine singular; Translation: “that”; Notes: Refers to a specific night.
- וַיֹּ֧אמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “And He said”; Notes: Introduces divine speech.
- לֹ֣ו (lo) – Root: ל (le) + הוא (hu); Form: Preposition with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers to Gidʿon.
- יְהוָ֗ה (YHWH) – Root: יהוה (YHWH); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The divine speaker.
- קַ֤ח (qaḥ) – Root: לקח (laqaḥ); Form: Qal imperative 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “Take”; Notes: Command given to Gidʿon.
- אֶת־פַּר־הַשֹּׁור֙ (et-par-ha-shor) – Root: פר (par) + שור (shor); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct with definite article; Translation: “the bull”; Notes: The specific bull to be taken.
- אֲשֶׁ֣ר לְאָבִ֔יךָ (ʾasher le-avikha) – Root: אב (ʾav); Form: Relative pronoun + noun, masculine singular with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “that belongs to your father”; Notes: Specifies ownership.
- וּפַ֥ר הַשֵּׁנִ֖י (u-par ha-sheni) – Root: פר (par) + שני (sheni); Form: Noun, masculine singular with definite article and ordinal adjective; Translation: “even the second bull”; Notes: Further specification.
- שֶׁ֣בַע שָׁנִ֑ים (sheva shanim) – Root: שבע (sheva) + שנה (shana); Form: Cardinal number + noun, feminine plural; Translation: “seven years”; Notes: Age of the second bull.
- וְהָרַסְתָּ֗ (ve-harasta) – Root: הרס (haras); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “and you shall tear down”; Notes: A command.
- אֶת־מִזְבַּ֤ח הַבַּ֨עַל֙ (et-mizbeaḥ ha-Baʿal) – Root: מזבח (mizbeaḥ) + בעל (Baʿal); Form: Noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “the altar of Baʿal”; Notes: Object of destruction.
- אֲשֶׁ֣ר לְאָבִ֔יךָ (ʾasher le-avikha) – Root: אב (ʾav); Form: Relative pronoun + noun, masculine singular with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “that belongs to your father”; Notes: Specifies ownership.
- וְאֶת־הָאֲשֵׁרָ֥ה (ve-et-ha-ʾasherah) – Root: אשרה (ʾasherah); Form: Noun, feminine singular with definite article; Translation: “and the Asherah”; Notes: Object of destruction.
- אֲשֶׁר־עָלָ֖יו (ʾasher-ʿalav) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Relative pronoun + preposition with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “that is upon it”; Notes: Describes location.
- תִּכְרֹֽת (tikrot) – Root: כרת (karat); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you shall cut down”; Notes: A divine command.