וַיֹּאמְר֤וּ הַשָּׂרִים֙ וְכָל־הָעָ֔ם אֶל־הַכֹּהֲנִ֖ים וְאֶל־הַנְּבִיאִ֑ים אֵין־לָאִ֤ישׁ הַזֶּה֙ מִשְׁפַּט־מָ֔וֶת כִּ֗י בְּשֵׁ֛ם יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ דִּבֶּ֥ר אֵלֵֽינוּ׃
And the princes and all the people said to the priests and to the prophets, “There is no sentence of death for this man, for in the name of YHWH our God he has spoken to us.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּאמְר֤וּ (va-yomru) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “And they said”; Notes: Marks the continuation of narrative speech by multiple speakers.
- הַשָּׂרִים (ha-sarim) – Root: שרר (sar); Form: Definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “the princes”; Notes: Refers to rulers or officials in authority.
- וְכָל־הָעָם (ve-khol ha-ʿam) – Root: כל (kol), עם (ʿam); Form: Conjunction + noun “all” + definite noun masculine singular “the people”; Translation: “and all the people”; Notes: Emphasizes collective agreement with the princes.
- אֶל־הַכֹּהֲנִים (el ha-kohanim) – Root: כהן (kohen); Form: Preposition אֶל + definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “to the priests”; Notes: Marks direction of the speech.
- וְאֶל־הַנְּבִיאִים (ve-el ha-neviʾim) – Root: נבא (naviʾ); Form: Conjunction + preposition + definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “and to the prophets”; Notes: Second group addressed alongside the priests.
- אֵין־לָאִישׁ (ʾein laʾish) – Root: אין (ʾein), איש (ʾish); Form: Negative existential particle + preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “There is no for the man”; Notes: Expresses denial of legal responsibility or sentence.
- הַזֶּה (ha-zeh) – Root: זה (zeh); Form: Demonstrative pronoun masculine singular definite; Translation: “this”; Notes: Refers to the man being judged.
- מִשְׁפַּט־מָוֶת (mishpat-mavet) – Root: שפט (shafat), מות (mut); Form: Construct chain: noun masculine singular “judgment” + noun masculine singular “death”; Translation: “sentence of death”; Notes: Legal term for capital punishment.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces reason or justification.
- בְּשֵׁם (be-shem) – Root: שם (shem); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular in construct; Translation: “in the name of”; Notes: Indicates authority or representation.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: הוה (h-v-h); Form: Proper noun, Tetragrammaton; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Sacred name of the God of Yisraʾel.
- אֱלֹהֵינוּ (Eloheinu) – Root: אלוה (ʾeloah); Form: Noun masculine plural with 1st person common plural suffix; Translation: “our God”; Notes: Confession of faith and source of prophetic authority.
- דִּבֶּר (dibber) – Root: דבר (davar); Form: Piel perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he spoke”; Notes: The Piel intensifies the declarative action, common in prophetic speech.
- אֵלֵינוּ (eleinu) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition + 1st person common plural suffix; Translation: “to us”; Notes: Specifies audience of the prophetic message.