וַיִּֽירְא֤וּ הָֽאֲנָשִׁים֙ יִרְאָ֣ה גְדֹולָ֔ה וַיֹּאמְר֥וּ אֵלָ֖יו מַה־זֹּ֣את עָשִׂ֑יתָ כִּֽי־יָדְע֣וּ הָאֲנָשִׁ֗ים כִּֽי־מִלִּפְנֵ֤י יְהוָה֙ ה֣וּא בֹרֵ֔חַ כִּ֥י הִגִּ֖יד לָהֶֽם׃
And the men feared a great fear, and they said to him, “What is this you have done?” for the men knew that he was fleeing from before YHWH, for he had told them.
Morphology
- וַיִּֽירְא֤וּ (va-yirʾu) – Root: ירא (yareʾ); Form: Conjunction וַ + Qal wayyiqtol 3mp; Translation: “And they feared”; Notes: Describes the sailors’ reaction to Yonah’s confession.
- הָֽאֲנָשִׁים֙ (ha-anashim) – Root: אנשׁ (ʾanash); Form: Definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “the men”; Notes: Refers specifically to the sailors on board.
- יִרְאָ֣ה (yirʾah) – Root: ירא (yareʾ); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “fear”; Notes: Indicates overwhelming dread.
- גְדֹולָ֔ה (gedolah) – Root: גדל (gadal); Form: Adjective feminine singular; Translation: “great”; Notes: Intensifies the magnitude of the fear.
- וַיֹּאמְר֥וּ (va-yomru) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Conjunction וַ + Qal wayyiqtol 3mp; Translation: “And they said”; Notes: Continues the narrative sequence.
- אֵלָ֖יו (elav) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition אֶל + suffix 3ms; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Marks Yonah as the one addressed.
- מַה־זֹּ֣את (mah-zot) – Root: זהה (z-h-h); Form: Interrogative + demonstrative feminine singular; Translation: “What is this”; Notes: Expresses shocked questioning.
- עָשִׂ֑יתָ (asita) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Qal perfect 2ms; Translation: “you have done”; Notes: Confronts Yonah’s guilt directly.
- כִּֽי־יָדְע֣וּ (ki-yadʿu) – Root: ידע (yadaʿ); Form: Conjunction כִּי + Qal perfect 3mp; Translation: “for they knew”; Notes: Explains the reason for their rebuke.
- הָאֲנָשִׁ֗ים (ha-anashim) – Root: אנשׁ (ʾanash); Form: Definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “the men”; Notes: Repetition adds emphasis.
- כִּֽי־מִלִּפְנֵ֤י (ki-milifnei) – Root: פן (pan); Form: Conjunction כִּי + Preposition מִן + noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “for from before”; Notes: Indicates fleeing from YHWH’s presence.
- יְהוָה֙ (YHWH) – Root: יהוה (YHWH); Form: Proper divine name; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Covenant name; never rendered as “Lord.”
- ה֣וּא (hu) – Root: הוא (hu); Form: Independent pronoun 3ms; Translation: “he”; Notes: Emphatic identification of Yonah.
- בֹרֵ֔חַ (boreach) – Root: ברח (barach); Form: Qal participle ms; Translation: “fleeing”; Notes: Highlights an ongoing rebellious action.
- כִּ֥י (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the explanatory clause.
- הִגִּ֖יד (higgid) – Root: נגד (nagad); Form: Hifil perfect 3ms; Translation: “he had told”; Notes: Yonah previously informed them of his flight.
- לָהֶֽם (lahem) – Root: לׂא (l); Form: Preposition לְ + suffix 3mp; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Marks the sailors as recipients of Yonah’s confession.