וַֽיְהִי֙ בַּשָּׁנָ֣ה הָרְבִיעִ֔ת לִיהֹויָקִ֥ים בֶּן־יֹאשִׁיָּ֖הוּ מֶ֣לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֑ה הָיָ֞ה הַדָּבָ֤ר הַזֶּה֙ אֶֽל־יִרְמְיָ֔הוּ מֵאֵ֥ת יְהוָ֖ה לֵאמֹֽר׃
And it came to pass in the fourth year of Yehoyaqim son of Yoshiyahu, king of Yehudah, that this word was to Yirmeyahu from YHWH, saying,
Morphology
- וַיְהִי (va-yehi) – Root: היה; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And it came to pass”; Notes: Standard narrative opening, marking the beginning of an event.
- בַּשָּׁנָה (ba-shanah) – Root: שׁנה; Form: Preposition + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “in the year”; Notes: Temporal marker specifying when the event occurred.
- הָרְבִיעִת (ha-reviʿit) – Root: רבע; Form: Definite ordinal adjective feminine singular; Translation: “the fourth”; Notes: Modifies “year.”
- לִיהֹויָקִים (li-Yehoyaqim) – Root: יהו + קום; Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “of Yehoyaqim”; Notes: Refers to the reigning king of Yehudah.
- בֶּן־יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ (ben-Yoshiyahu) – Root: בן + אשי; Form: Construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “son of Yoshiyahu”; Notes: Establishes Yehoyaqim’s royal lineage.
- מֶלֶךְ (melekh) – Root: מלך; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “king”; Notes: Royal title.
- יְהוּדָה (Yehudah) – Root: יהד; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yehudah”; Notes: Southern kingdom of Yisraʾel.
- הָיָה (hayah) – Root: היה; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “was”; Notes: Introduces the main clause.
- הַדָּבָר (ha-davar) – Root: דבר; Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the word”; Notes: Refers to a divine message or oracle.
- הַזֶּה (ha-zeh) – Root: זהה; Form: Demonstrative adjective masculine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Modifies “word.”
- אֶל־יִרְמְיָהוּ (el-Yirmeyahu) – Root: ירם + יה; Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “to Yirmeyahu”; Notes: Recipient of the divine message.
- מֵאֵת (me-et) – Root: את; Form: Preposition with compound form; Translation: “from”; Notes: Indicates origin of the word.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: הוה; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Speaker and sender of the divine word.
- לֵאמֹר (leʾemor) – Root: אמר; Form: Infinitive construct with preposition; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces the actual content of the divine message (to follow).