וַיְהִ֣י כִּקְרֹ֣וא יְהוּדִ֗י שָׁלֹ֣שׁ דְּלָתֹות֮ וְאַרְבָּעָה֒ יִֽקְרָעֶ֨הָ֙ בְּתַ֣עַר הַסֹּפֵ֔ר וְהַשְׁלֵ֕ךְ אֶל־הָאֵ֖שׁ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶל־הָאָ֑ח עַד־תֹּם֙ כָּל־הַמְּגִלָּ֔ה עַל־הָאֵ֖שׁ אֲשֶׁ֥ר עַל־הָאָֽח׃
And it happened, as Yehudi read three or four columns, he would tear it with the scribe’s knife and throw it into the fire that was in the brazier, until all the scroll was consumed in the fire that was in the brazier.
Morphology
- וַיְהִי (va-yehi) – Root: היה; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And it happened”; Notes: Introduces a narrative event.
- כִּקְרֹא (ki-qro) – Root: קרא; Form: Conjunction כִּי + Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “as he was reading”; Notes: Temporal construction introducing the action that triggered the next events.
- יְהוּדִי (Yehudi) – Root: יהד; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yehudi”; Notes: Subject of the infinitive clause.
- שָׁלֹשׁ (shalosh) – Root: שלשׁ; Form: Cardinal number, feminine; Translation: “three”; Notes: Quantifies “columns.”
- דְּלָתוֹת (delatot) – Root: דלת; Form: Noun feminine plural; Translation: “columns” or “leaves”; Notes: Refers to vertical sections of the scroll.
- וְאַרְבָּעָה (ve-arbaʿah) – Root: ארבע; Form: Cardinal number, masculine; Translation: “or four”; Notes: Indicates variation in how much was read before each cutting.
- יִקְרָעֶהָ (yiqraʿehah) – Root: קרע; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular + 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “he would tear it”; Notes: Refers to the scroll, implying repeated action.
- בְּתַעַר (be-taʿar) – Root: תער; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “with a knife”; Notes: Instrumental use, likely a scribe’s knife used for cutting scrolls.
- הַסֹּפֵר (ha-sofer) – Root: ספר; Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the scribe”; Notes: Describes the type of knife used, belonging to or used by a scribe.
- וְהַשְׁלֵךְ (ve-hashlekh) – Root: שלך; Form: Conjunction + Hifil imperative masculine singular; Translation: “and he would throw”; Notes: Probably a narrative imperfect (jussive-like or habitual action).
- אֶל (el) – Root: אל; Form: Preposition; Translation: “into”; Notes: Direction of the throwing action.
- הָאֵשׁ (ha-esh) – Root: אשׁ; Form: Definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “the fire”; Notes: Target of the thrown scroll fragments.
- אֲשֶׁר (asher) – Root: אשר; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “that”; Notes: Introduces relative clause modifying “fire.”
- אֶל (el) – Root: אל; Form: Preposition; Translation: “in” or “upon”; Notes: Used here in spatial relationship with the brazier.
- הָאָח (ha-aḥ) – Root: אח; Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the brazier”; Notes: A firepot or hearth used for warmth.
- עַד (ʿad) – Root: עד; Form: Preposition; Translation: “until”; Notes: Introduces the limit or end point of the action.
- תֹּם (tom) – Root: תם; Form: Infinitive construct; Translation: “completion”; Notes: Expresses the idea of “until all was finished.”
- כָּל (kol) – Root: כל; Form: Noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “all of”; Notes: Quantifies the entirety of the scroll.
- הַמְּגִלָּה (ha-megillah) – Root: גלל; Form: Definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “the scroll”; Notes: Object that was fully consumed.
- עַל (ʿal) – Root: על; Form: Preposition; Translation: “upon”; Notes: Describes physical location of the fire.
- הָאֵשׁ (ha-esh) – Root: אשׁ; Form: Definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “the fire”; Notes: Repetition for emphasis on the consuming fire.
- אֲשֶׁר (asher) – Root: אשר; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “that”; Notes: Introduces relative clause modifying “fire.”
- עַל (ʿal) – Root: על; Form: Preposition; Translation: “upon”; Notes: Again locative expression with brazier.
- הָאָח (ha-aḥ) – Root: אח; Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the brazier”; Notes: Closes the narrative loop emphasizing full destruction.