וַיְהִ֣י כִּזְרֹ֣חַ הַשֶּׁ֗מֶשׁ וַיְמַ֨ן אֱלֹהִ֜ים ר֤וּחַ קָדִים֙ חֲרִישִׁ֔ית וַתַּ֥ךְ הַשֶּׁ֛מֶשׁ עַל־רֹ֥אשׁ יֹונָ֖ה וַיִּתְעַלָּ֑ף וַיִּשְׁאַ֤ל אֶת־נַפְשֹׁו֙ לָמ֔וּת וַיֹּ֕אמֶר טֹ֥וב מֹותִ֖י מֵחַיָּֽי׃
And it happened when the sun rose, and God appointed an east wind, scorching, and the sun struck upon the head of Yona, and he fainted, and he asked his life to die, and he said, “Better is my death than my life.”
Morphology
- וַיְהִי (va-yehi) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3ms; Translation: “And it happened”; Notes: Introduces a narrative development.
- כִּזְרֹחַ (kizroaḥ) – Root: זרח (zaraḥ); Form: Preposition כְּ + infinitive construct; Translation: “when the rising”; Notes: Marks temporal circumstance.
- הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ (ha-shemesh) – Root: שׁמשׁ (shamash); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the sun”; Notes: Subject of rising.
- וַיְמַן (va-yeman) – Root: מנה (manah); Form: Piel wayyiqtol 3ms; Translation: “and appointed”; Notes: Divine intentional action.
- אֱלֹהִים (Elohim) – Root: אל (eloah); Form: Noun masculine plural (majestic plural); Translation: “Elohim”; Notes: Title emphasizing sovereignty.
- רוּחַ (ruaḥ) – Root: רוח (ruaḥ); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “wind”; Notes: The appointed agent of discomfort.
- קָדִים (qadim) – Root: קדם (qedem); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “east”; Notes: East winds were notoriously harsh.
- חֲרִישִׁית (ḥarishit) – Root: חרשׁ (ḥarash); Form: Adjective feminine singular; Translation: “scorching”; Notes: Describes intensity of the wind.
- וַתַּךְ (va-takh) – Root: נכה (nakhah); Form: Hiphil wayyiqtol 3fs; Translation: “and it struck”; Notes: The sun’s harsh effect on Yonah.
- הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ (ha-shemesh) – Root: שׁמשׁ (shamash); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the sun”; Notes: Subject of the verb “struck.”
- עַל־רֹאשׁ (ʿal-rosh) – Root: על / ראשׁ (ʿal / rosh); Form: Preposition עַל + noun masculine singular; Translation: “upon the head”; Notes: Location of the physical impact.
- יֹונָה (Yonah) – Root: יון (yon); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yonah”; Notes: The afflicted prophet.
- וַיִּתְעַלָּף (va-yitʿallaf) – Root: עלף (ʿalaph); Form: Hitpael wayyiqtol 3ms; Translation: “and he fainted”; Notes: Reflexive form indicating collapse.
- וַיִּשְׁאַל (va-yishʾal) – Root: שׁאל (shaʾal); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3ms; Translation: “and he asked”; Notes: A desperate petition.
- אֶת־נַפְשׁוֹ (et-nafsho) – Root: נפשׁ (nefesh); Form: Particle אֶת + noun feminine singular + suffix 3ms; Translation: “his life”; Notes: Direct object of the request.
- לָמוּת (lamut) – Root: מות (mut); Form: Preposition לְ + infinitive construct; Translation: “to die”; Notes: Expresses suicidal desire.
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (amar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3ms; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Introduces Yonah’s explanation.
- טֹוב (tov) – Root: טוב (tov); Form: Adjective masculine singular; Translation: “Better”; Notes: Evaluative comparison.
- מֹותִי (moti) – Root: מות (mut); Form: Noun masculine singular + suffix 1cs; Translation: “my death”; Notes: The preferred state in Yonah’s distress.
- מֵחַיָּי (me-ḥayyai) – Root: חיה (ḥayah); Form: Preposition מִן + noun masculine plural + suffix 1cs; Translation: “than my life”; Notes: Marks comparison.