וַיְהִ֕י כְּבֹואָ֖ם אֶל־תֹּ֣וךְ הָעִ֑יר וַיִּשְׁחָטֵ֞ם יִשְׁמָעֵ֤אל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָה֙ אֶל־תֹּ֣וךְ הַבֹּ֔ור ה֖וּא וְהָאֲנָשִׁ֥ים אֲשֶׁר־אִתֹּֽו׃
And it came to pass, when they came into the midst of the city, Yishmaʿel son of Netanya slaughtered them into the midst of the pit, he and the men who were with him.
Morphology
- וַיְהִי (va-yehi) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And it came to pass”; Notes: Narrative continuation formula.
- כְּבֹואָם (ke-voʾam) – Root: בוא (boʾ); Form: Preposition כּ + Qal infinitive construct + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “when they came”; Notes: Temporal clause describing the pilgrims’ entry.
- אֶל־תֹּוךְ (el-tokh) – Root: תוך (tokh); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “into the midst of”; Notes: Marks the location of their arrival.
- הָעִיר (ha-ʿir) – Root: עיר (ʿir); Form: Definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “the city”; Notes: Refers to the city of Mitzpah.
- וַיִּשְׁחָטֵם (va-yishḥatem) – Root: שׁחט (shaḥat); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “and he slaughtered them”; Notes: Brutal killing of the pilgrims.
- יִשְׁמָעֵאל (Yishmaʿel) – Root: ישׁמעאל (Yishmaʿel); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yishmaʿel”; Notes: The assassin and leader of the massacre.
- בֶּן־נְתַנְיָה (ben-Netanyah) – Root: נתניה (Netanyah); Form: Construct phrase; Translation: “son of Netanyah”; Notes: Patronymic identification.
- אֶל־תֹּוךְ (el-tokh) – Root: תוך (tokh); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “into the midst of”; Notes: Emphasizes the disposal site of the victims.
- הַבֹּור (ha-bor) – Root: בור (bor); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the pit”; Notes: Place of mass burial or disposal.
- הוּא (hu) – Root: הוא (hu); Form: Independent pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “he”; Notes: Emphatic subject marker.
- וְהָאֲנָשִׁים (ve-ha-anashim) – Root: אישׁ (ʾish); Form: Conjunction + definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “and the men”; Notes: Refers to Yishmaʿel’s accomplices.
- אֲשֶׁר (asher) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “who”; Notes: Introduces subordinate clause.
- אִתֹּו (itto) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “with him”; Notes: Yishmaʿel’s supporters in the massacre.