וַיֹּ֣אמֶר הָאָטָד֮ אֶל־הָעֵצִים֒ אִ֡ם בֶּאֱמֶ֣ת אַתֶּם֩ מֹשְׁחִ֨ים אֹתִ֤י לְמֶ֨לֶךְ֙ עֲלֵיכֶ֔ם בֹּ֖אוּ חֲס֣וּ בְצִלִּ֑י וְאִם־אַ֕יִן תֵּ֤צֵא אֵשׁ֙ מִן־הָ֣אָטָ֔ד וְתֹאכַ֖ל אֶת־אַרְזֵ֥י הַלְּבָנֹֽון׃
And the bramble said to the trees, ‘If in truth you anoint me as king over you, come, take refuge in my shade; but if not, let fire come out from the bramble and consume the cedars of Levanon.’
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (vayyoʾmer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (sequential imperfect) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
- הָאָטָד֮ (ha-ʾatad) – Root: אטד (ʾatad); Form: Noun, masculine singular definite; Translation: “the bramble”; Notes: Subject of the sentence.
- אֶל־הָעֵצִים֒ (el-haʿetsim) – Root: עץ (ʿets); Form: Noun, masculine plural definite with preposition; Translation: “to the trees”; Notes: The audience of the speech.
- אִם (ʾim) – Root: אם (ʾim); Form: Conditional particle; Translation: “If”; Notes: Introduces a conditional clause.
- בֶּאֱמֶ֣ת (beʾemet) – Root: אמת (ʾemet); Form: Noun, feminine singular absolute with preposition; Translation: “in truth”; Notes: Indicates sincerity.
- אַתֶּם֩ (ʾattem) – Root: אתם (ʾattem); Form: Pronoun, 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you”; Notes: Subject of the conditional statement.
- מֹשְׁחִ֨ים (moshḥim) – Root: משח (mashaḥ); Form: Qal participle masculine plural; Translation: “anointing”; Notes: Describes the action.
- אֹתִ֤י (ʾoti) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Pronoun, 1st person singular with direct object marker; Translation: “me”; Notes: Object of the anointing.
- לְמֶ֨לֶךְ֙ (le-melekh) – Root: מלך (melekh); Form: Noun, masculine singular with preposition; Translation: “as king”; Notes: Indicates the position.
- עֲלֵיכֶ֔ם (ʿalekhem) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition with 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “over you”; Notes: Specifies rulership.
- בֹּ֖אוּ (boʾu) – Root: בוא (boʾ); Form: Qal imperative masculine plural; Translation: “come”; Notes: A command to the trees.
- חֲס֣וּ (ḥasu) – Root: חסה (ḥasah); Form: Qal imperative masculine plural; Translation: “take refuge”; Notes: Urges protection.
- בְצִלִּ֑י (be-tsilli) – Root: צל (tsel); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “in my shade”; Notes: The supposed protection offered.
- וְאִם־ (veʾim) – Root: אם (ʾim); Form: Conditional particle with conjunction; Translation: “but if”; Notes: Introduces an alternative.
- אַ֕יִן (ʾayin) – Root: אין (ʾayin); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Denies the preceding condition.
- תֵּ֤צֵא (tetse) – Root: יצא (yatza); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “let it come out”; Notes: Refers to fire.
- אֵשׁ֙ (ʾesh) – Root: אש (ʾesh); Form: Noun, feminine singular; Translation: “fire”; Notes: Subject of the verb.
- מִן־הָ֣אָטָ֔ד (min-haʾatad) – Root: אטד (ʾatad); Form: Noun, masculine singular definite with preposition; Translation: “from the bramble”; Notes: Source of the fire.
- וְתֹאכַ֖ל (ve-toʾkhal) – Root: אכל (ʾakhal); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “and consume”; Notes: Describes destruction.
- אֶת־אַרְזֵ֥י (et-arzei) – Root: ארז (ʾerez); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct with direct object marker; Translation: “the cedars of”; Notes: Direct object.
- הַלְּבָנֹֽון׃ (ha-levanon) – Root: לבנון (levanon); Form: Noun, masculine singular definite; Translation: “Lebanon”; Notes: A famous mountain range.