וַתִּבָּקַ֣ע הָעִ֗יר וְכָל־אַנְשֵׁ֣י הַמִּלְחָמָ֡ה יִבְרְחוּ֩ וַיֵּצְא֨וּ מֵהָעִ֜יר לַ֗יְלָה דֶּ֜רֶךְ שַׁ֤עַר בֵּין־הַחֹמֹתַ֨יִם֙ אֲשֶׁר֙ עַל־גַּ֣ן הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וְכַשְׂדִּ֥ים עַל־הָעִ֖יר סָבִ֑יב וַיֵּלְכ֖וּ דֶּ֥רֶךְ הָעֲרָבָֽה׃
And the city was breached, and all the men of war fled, and they went out from the city by night, by the way of the gate between the walls which is by the king’s garden, while the Kasdim were against the city round about, and they went by the way of the ʿArava.
Morphology
- וַתִּבָּקַע (va-tibbaqaʿ) – Root: בקע (baqaʿ); Form: Niphal wayyiqtol 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “and it was breached”; Notes: Refers to the breaking through of the city wall.
- הָעִיר (ha-ʿir) – Root: עיר (ʿir); Form: Definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “the city”; Notes: Refers specifically to Yerushalayim.
- וְכָל (ve-kol) – Root: כל (kol); Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “and all”; Notes: Inclusive of the whole group.
- אַנְשֵׁי (ʾanshei) – Root: אישׁ (ʾish); Form: Noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “men of”; Notes: Construct relationship with “war.”
- הַמִּלְחָמָה (ha-milḥamah) – Root: לחם (laḥam); Form: Definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “the war”; Notes: Together with “men of” = “men of war.”
- יִבְרְחוּ (yivreḥu) – Root: ברח (baraḥ); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they fled”; Notes: Indicates the reaction of soldiers after the breach.
- וַיֵּצְאוּ (va-yetseʾu) – Root: יצא (yatsaʾ); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they went out”; Notes: Describes their escape from the city.
- מֵהָעִיר (me-ha-ʿir) – Root: עיר (ʿir); Form: Preposition + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “from the city”; Notes: Indicates the point of departure.
- לַיְלָה (laylah) – Root: ליל (layil); Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “night”; Notes: Time of the escape.
- דֶּרֶךְ (derekh) – Root: דרך (derekh); Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “by the way”; Notes: Indicates the route taken.
- שַׁעַר (shaʿar) – Root: שער (shaʿar); Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “gate”; Notes: Refers to an opening in the city wall.
- בֵּין־הַחֹמֹתַיִם (bein-ha-ḥomotayim) – Root: חמה (ḥomah); Form: Preposition + dual noun with definite article; Translation: “between the walls”; Notes: Indicates a narrow passageway between fortifications.
- אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) – Root: אשׁר (ʾasher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “which”; Notes: Introduces relative clause about location.
- עַל (ʿal) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition; Translation: “by / upon”; Notes: Marks spatial relation.
- גַּן (gan) – Root: גן (gan); Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “garden”; Notes: Refers to the king’s royal garden.
- הַמֶּלֶךְ (ha-melekh) – Root: מלך (melekh); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the king”; Notes: Possessive relation: “the king’s garden.”
- וְכַשְׂדִּים (ve-Kasdim) – Root: כשׂד (Kasdim); Form: Conjunction + proper noun plural; Translation: “and the Kasdim”; Notes: Refers to the Chaldeans/Babylonians surrounding the city.
- עַל־הָעִיר (ʿal-ha-ʿir) – Root: עיר (ʿir); Form: Preposition + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “against the city”; Notes: Describes military encirclement.
- סָבִיב (saviv) – Root: סבב (savav); Form: Adverb; Translation: “all around”; Notes: Total encirclement.
- וַיֵּלְכוּ (va-yeleku) – Root: הלך (halakh); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they went”; Notes: Describes further movement of the fleeing soldiers.
- דֶּרֶךְ (derekh) – Root: דרך (derekh); Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “by the way”; Notes: Repetition emphasizes the escape route.
- הָעֲרָבָה (ha-ʿaravah) – Root: ערב (ʿarav); Form: Definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “the ʿAravah”; Notes: Refers to the Jordan rift valley region.