וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֵלָ֔יו הַגִּידָה־נָּ֣א לָ֔נוּ בַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר לְמִי־הָרָעָ֥ה הַזֹּ֖את לָ֑נוּ מַה־מְּלַאכְתְּךָ֙ וּמֵאַ֣יִן תָּבֹ֔וא מָ֣ה אַרְצֶ֔ךָ וְאֵֽי־מִזֶּ֥ה עַ֖ם אָֽתָּה׃
And they said to him, “Tell us, please, because of whom this evil is upon us. What is your work, and from where do you come, what is your land, and from which people are you?”
Morphology
- וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ (va-yomru) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Conjunction וַ + Qal wayyiqtol 3mp; Translation: “And they said”; Notes: The sailors question Yonah directly.
- אֵלָ֔יו (elav) – Root: אל (ʾ-l); Form: Preposition אֶל + suffix 3ms; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Marks Yonah as the addressed party.
- הַגִּידָה־נָּ֣א (haggidah-na) – Root: נגד (n-g-d); Form: Hiphil imperative 2ms + particle of entreaty; Translation: “Tell, please”; Notes: Polite but urgent request.
- לָ֔נוּ (lanu) – Root: ל (l); Form: Preposition לְ + suffix 1cp; Translation: “to us”; Notes: The sailors seek information affecting them.
- בַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר (ba’asher) – Root: אשר (ʾ-sh-r); Form: Preposition בְּ + relative particle; Translation: “because”; Notes: Introduces the reason clause.
- לְמִי־ (le-mi) – Root: מי (m-y); Form: Preposition לְ + interrogative; Translation: “for whom / because of whom”; Notes: Seeking the guilty party.
- הָרָעָ֥ה (ha-raʿah) – Root: רעע (r-ʿ-ʿ); Form: Definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “the evil / calamity”; Notes: Refers to the storm threatening them.
- הַזֹּ֖את (ha-zot) – Root: זה (z-h); Form: Demonstrative pronoun feminine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Specifies the current disaster.
- לָ֑נוּ (lanu) – Root: ל (l); Form: Preposition לְ + suffix 1cp; Translation: “upon us”; Notes: Repeated for emphasis.
- מַה־מְּלַאכְתְּךָ֙ (mah-melakhtekha) – Root: מלאך (m-l-ʾ-k); Form: Interrogative + noun feminine singular + suffix 2ms; Translation: “What is your work?”; Notes: Asking Yonah’s occupation.
- וּמֵאַ֣יִן (u-me’ayin) – Root: אין (ʾ-y-n); Form: Conjunction וּ + preposition מִן + interrogative; Translation: “and from where”; Notes: Inquiry about his origin.
- תָּבֹ֔וא (tabo) – Root: בוא (b-w-ʾ); Form: Qal imperfect 2ms; Translation: “do you come?”; Notes: Asking about his place of departure.
- מָ֣ה (mah) – Root: מה (m-h); Form: Interrogative particle; Translation: “what”; Notes: Introduces the next question.
- אַרְצֶ֔ךָ (artzekha) – Root: ארץ (ʾ-r-ts); Form: Noun feminine singular + suffix 2ms; Translation: “is your land?”; Notes: Asks for his homeland.
- וְאֵֽי־ (ve-’ei) – Root: אי (ʾ-y); Form: Conjunction וְ + interrogative; Translation: “and which / and from which”; Notes: Introduces final identity question.
- מִזֶּ֥ה (mi-zeh) – Root: זה (z-h); Form: Preposition מִן + demonstrative; Translation: “from which”; Notes: Specifies origin within a group.
- עַ֖ם (ʿam) – Root: עם (ʿ-m); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “people”; Notes: Asking about ethnic identity.
- אָֽתָּה (attah) – Root: אתה (ʾ-t-h); Form: Pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “are you?”; Notes: Completes the question of nationality.