וַיָּשֻׁ֣בוּ כָל־הַיְּהוּדִ֗ים מִכָּל־הַמְּקֹמֹות֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נִדְּחוּ־שָׁ֔ם וַיָּבֹ֧אוּ אֶֽרֶץ־יְהוּדָ֛ה אֶל־גְּדַלְיָ֖הוּ הַמִּצְפָּ֑תָה וַיַּאַסְפ֛וּ יַ֥יִן וָקַ֖יִץ הַרְבֵּ֥ה מְאֹֽד׃ פ
And all the Yehudim returned from all the places where they had been driven, and they came to the land of Yehuda, to Gedalyahu at the Mitzpa, and they gathered wine and summer fruit in very great abundance.
Morphology
- וַיָּשֻׁבוּ (va-yashuvu) – Root: שׁוב (shuv); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “And they returned”; Notes: Refers to the exiles coming back.
- כָל־הַיְּהוּדִים (kol-ha-Yehudim) – Root: יהודי (Yehudi); Form: Construct noun “all” + definite plural noun; Translation: “all the Yehudim”; Notes: Refers to Jewish people dispersed abroad.
- מִכָּל־הַמְּקֹמֹות (mi-kol-ha-meqomot) – Root: קום (qum, place); Form: Preposition מ + construct “all” + definite plural noun; Translation: “from all the places”; Notes: Refers to lands of dispersion.
- אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Relative particle; Translation: “where”; Notes: Introduces relative clause.
- נִדְּחוּ (niddḥu) – Root: נדח (nadach); Form: Nifal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they had been driven”; Notes: Refers to exile/dispersal.
- שָׁם (sham) – Root: שם (sham); Form: Adverb; Translation: “there”; Notes: Location of dispersion.
- וַיָּבֹאוּ (va-yavoʾu) – Root: בוא (boʾ); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they came”; Notes: Arrival in Yehudah.
- אֶרֶץ־יְהוּדָה (erets-Yehudah) – Root: ארץ (ʾerets), יהודה (Yehudah); Form: Construct phrase; Translation: “the land of Yehudah”; Notes: Refers to the territory of Judah.
- אֶל־גְּדַלְיָהוּ (el-Gedalyahu) – Root: גדליהו (Gedalyahu); Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “to Gedalyahu”; Notes: Babylon-appointed governor of Yehudah.
- הַמִּצְפָּתָה (ha-Mitzpatah) – Root: מצפה (Mitzpah); Form: Proper noun with locative ending; Translation: “at the Mitzpah”; Notes: Gedalyahu’s administrative center.
- וַיַּאַסְפוּ (va-yaʾasfu) – Root: אסף (ʾasaf); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they gathered”; Notes: Collecting agricultural produce.
- יַיִן (yayin) – Root: יין (yayin); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “wine”; Notes: Product of vineyard harvest.
- וָקַיִץ (va-qayits) – Root: קיץ (qayits); Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and summer fruit”; Notes: Likely figs as seasonal produce.
- הַרְבֵּה (harbeh) – Root: רבה (ravah); Form: Adjective/adverb; Translation: “much, abundant”; Notes: Intensifies the abundance.
- מְאֹד (meʾod) – Root: מאד (meʾod); Form: Adverb; Translation: “very”; Notes: Superlative emphasis, “very greatly.”